Among Friends

[Starpolisher]

My friend was at Aldi's and on the phone with me when I heard her ask someone if she could have their cart. She said to the person. "I don't  have a case quarter" here's  2 dimes and a nickel. The person and I were both saying "What?" 😂 From the way she used it, I knew what she meant but I'd  never, ever heard it before. Dh heard me talking and he knew what it meant too! I've never heard him use it though. Dh is from upstate NY. His dad was from Mississippi. My friend was raised here in Central NJ. Her mom is from South Carolina. I figured it was a southern thing and I was right! Here are two definitions I found on Google.

• You might know what a "case quarter" is if you're from South Carolina. To people elsewhere, it's more of a mystery. ... It turns out a “case quarter” means a quarter—a 25-cent piece—as opposed to other coins that make up 25 cents.Apr 6, 2018   

• A Black American dialectal term for a twenty-            five cent piece. Still in current use in isolated areas: attested often in Middle Georgia.

I was surprised I'd never heard it before. We live in Central NJ at the Shore but there are a lot of families here who came from the South.

My friend was surprised  I'd never heard it. She said she thought it was common knowledge. I come from a very diverse background and she said it surprised her that I didn't know it!

Learn something new everyday!😂

I was just curious as to how many others knew of it or if I was the only one out of the loop! 😆

[Starpolisher]

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@Imaoldhippie wrote:

Just curious as to why you did not ask your friend.  How did she use that expression?

Ive lived all over the US and never heard that one before.

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I did ask her. Though the way she used it, I knew what it meant. But we did discuss it and then I Googled it too!.

[Starpolisher]

Thanks for all the responses. Now you know!😊

[Starpolisher]

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@Mz iMac wrote:

@Starpolisher   Where is your friend from? 

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She's from here. Central NJ, at the Shore. We're lifelong friends but I'd never heard her say it before!

[goldensrbest]

New one for myself.

[TaylorBrown]

I was mainly raised in NC and I heard this expression regularly there.

[TaylorBrown]

A case quarter means a single coin, a quarter, not coins that add up to 25 cents.

[TaylorBrown]

@Deb0509 it is a single quarter coin, not coins that add up to 25 cents.

[Foxxee]

After reading replies, I'm not sure why it's used.  For coins that add up to 25 cents, I'd say 25 cents.

A single coin is a quarter. 

Why make the English language more difficult?

[red&curly]

Hey, I'm from NC close to SC border on I-95.I have heard case quarter all my life but don't think younger people .

Foxxee, we are not trying to make English language more difficult.I think all areas have their sayings that others have not heard off.Just something that caught on I guess.

We use it when we need a solid quarter like for a soft drink machine, laundermat, paperbox, things where 25 cents in change were not accepted in the receptacle.
Hope that helps with why its used.
Take care & have a good weekend