# who coined the phrase 'coin a phrase'?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-coined-the-phrase-coin-a-phrase/116805
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 1, 2002, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-coined-the-phrase-coin-a-phrase/116805 "2002-07-01T09:58:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@wjp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wjp)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2002, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-coined-the-phrase-coin-a-phrase/116805/1 "2002-07-01T09:58:39Z")
Something that I have been wondering lately. I can’t see any logical connection between coins and phrases or sayings, so who came up with this expression?
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2002, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-coined-the-phrase-coin-a-phrase/116805/2 "2002-07-01T10:05:36Z")
tr.v. coined, coin·ing, coins
To make (pieces of money) from metal; mint or strike: coined silver dollars.
To make pieces of money from (metal): coin gold.
To devise (a new word or phrase).
I realise that def.3 is not helpful, but to _coin_ is to create currency; that currency need not be tangible.
It’s similar, I suppose, to say that X laid the foundation for Y, where X and Y are concepts, not tangible structures.
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### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2002, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-coined-the-phrase-coin-a-phrase/116805/3 "2002-07-01T15:27:49Z")
First Google hit on “coin a phrase” origin:
[http://www.wordorigins.org/wordorc.htm](http://www.wordorigins.org/wordorc.htm)
Second Google hit on “coin a phrase” origin:
[http://www.takeourword.com/TOW150/page2.html](http://www.takeourword.com/TOW150/page2.html)