# What does "a buck three-eighty-two" mean?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-buck-three-eighty-two-mean/368753>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 15, 2006, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-buck-three-eighty-two-mean/368753 "2006-08-15T01:51:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-buck-three-eighty-two-mean/368753/22 "2016-07-11T20:01:04Z")

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> [@Machine\_Elf](#):
>
> This all makes me think of a “four-eleven” differential, on which the pinion-to-axle drive ratio was 4.1:1…

I think you’re mistaken about that. I’ve only heard “four eleven” applied to a ratio of 4.11 to 1, and I don’t recall ever hearing a rear axle ratio expressed in only two significant digits – it’s always three digits (e.g. 3.42, 3.73, 4.10 – three forty-two, three seventy-three, and four ten respectively). The “to one” is understood and does not need to be stated, and virtually never is.

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**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-buck-three-eighty-two-mean/368753/23 "2016-07-11T20:09:33Z")

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> [@Gary\_T](#):
>
> I think you’re mistaken about that. I’ve only heard “four eleven” applied to a ratio of 4.11 to 1, and I don’t recall ever hearing a rear axle ratio expressed in only two significant digits – it’s always three digits (e.g. 3.42, 3.73, 4.10 – three forty-two, three seventy-three, and four ten respectively). The “to one” is understood and does not need to be stated, and virtually never is.

:smack: You’re right, my bad.

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**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2016, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-buck-three-eighty-two-mean/368753/24 "2016-07-11T20:40:15Z")

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> [@Machine\_Elf](#):
>
> This all makes me think of a “four-eleven” differential, on which the pinion-to-axle drive ratio was 4.1:1…

As distinguished from the 3.31, 3.54, 3.78 and 4.11 diffs? Carrying the ratio out to two decimal places is standard.

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**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-buck-three-eighty-two-mean/368753/25 "2016-07-12T01:27:59Z")

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To me, it means a dollar and 38.2 cents. Not surprised I’d be incorrect though.

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**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-buck-three-eighty-two-mean/368753/26 "2016-07-12T01:32:40Z")

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> [@Isilder](#):
>
> Jazz composer Stan Kenton had a song titled “Opus a dollar three-eighty” in 1944. The term appears to date to at least 1931.

German syntax plus jazz musicians make me think: Yiddish?

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