For A Song: To Go/To Buy/To Sell 🎤
Something sold or bought for a trifling sum, often far less than its worth. This phrase likely stems from the small amounts given to itinerant singers performing outside inns and public houses (bars), as well as the minor cost for sheet music back in the day. Dating back to the sixteenth century, Shakespeare employed it in All’s Well That Ends Well: “I know a man … sold a goodly manor for a song” (3.2). By the time Byron wrote Don Juan in 1824, it had cemented its status as a cliché: “The cost would be a trifle—an ‘old song’.”
Synonyms & Related Expressions:
- A steal
- Dirt cheap
- Penny-wise
- A bargain
- Next to nothing
Antonyms:
- Costing a fortune
- Costly affair
- Break the bank
Humor-filled Quotes:
- “I once bought a guitar for a song, but I couldn’t carry a tune, so I stuck to playing air guitar. It was practically free!” - Anonymous Musician
Proverbs:
- “A penny saved is a penny earned.”
- “Good things come in small packages.”
Literary References:
- The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare: you can bargain like Shylock (or not)!
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain: Tom knew how to make even the costliest adventure seem like it was “for a song.”
Movie & Song Mentions:
- Movie: Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) - You might get such a thrill from a bargain that you sing all the way home.
- Song: “Cheap Thrills” by Sia - Enjoying life doesn’t have to cost a fortune, it’s for a song!
“When the words of the past illuminate the bargains and insights of the present, every song becomes a treasure, whether it costs a million or a mere penny.”
Keep singing and enjoy the hunt for the next great deal!
— B. Argain Hunter
