Why the expression "cheap at half the price" ?. Shouldn't it be double the price.?

Answer 1

Originally ,the saying was "cheap at twice the price". Once that became an everyday saying , the sarcastic comment on something, or the salesman's joke on the punter (people tend to hear what they expect, and not what is said), was to say "cheap at half the price".
Geddit ?

Answer 2

The item in question costs $10.
Cheap at 1/2 the price would mean $5. (10 divided by 2)
Cheap at double the price would mean $20. (10 multiplied by 2)
Which is cheaper, $5 or $20?

Answer 3

I think the expression started out as "cheap at twice the price"

Answer 4

It should really be "cheap, at half the price." There should be a comma after the word "cheap"

To explain, the item is considered cheap since it is half the price.

Answer 5

Correct. The common phrase is "cheap at twice the price".

"Cheap at half the price" sounds like something a sleazy salesman would try ... or the punch line to a joke.

Answer 6

Cheap at half the price has a tongue-in-cheek double meaning. The word "cheap" does not refer to price..... it refers to quality. So if it is "cheap at half the price", we are saying, "Even if you paid half price for this item, it is still of such poor quality that it would not be a bargain."

Answer 7

This expression means that the item is not actually cheap.
It would only be cheap if the price was halved but at its current price it is not cheap.

Answer 8

Yes, it should be "cheap at twice the price".

Answer 9

But it wouldn't be cheap at twice the price. It would be too expensive. It would be twice as much. So the whole saying makes no sence.

But you can't have your cake and eat it too. Now who coined that phrase? And who coined the phrase 'coined the phrase'? Yatta yatta yatta

Answer 10

it means dont ask for it any cheaper it sounds like a yorkshire man's saying which i am by the way.