tickey: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowInformal, historical, regional (South African English)
Quick answer
What does “tickey” mean?
A very small South African coin, historically worth three pence.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A very small South African coin, historically worth three pence.
Used informally to refer to a small amount of money or anything of minimal value. Can also refer to a three-pointed thing or a small tool.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is not used in General British or General American English. Its usage is exclusively South African. British users would be unfamiliar; American users would almost certainly not know it.
Connotations
In South Africa, it connotes historical small change, frugality, or something trivial. In wider English contexts, it is a marked regionalism.
Frequency
Frequency outside Southern Africa is virtually zero.
Grammar
How to Use “tickey” in a Sentence
not worth a ~a [adjective] ~Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “tickey” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- He bought it with his last tickey coin.
- It was a tickey-sized piece of luck.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in historical or cultural discussions of South African economy.
Academic
Found in historical, numismatic, or sociolinguistic texts concerning Southern Africa.
Everyday
Used in South Africa, often by older generations or in set phrases denoting small value.
Technical
Numismatics (study of coins).
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tickey”
- Spelling as 'ticky' or 'tickie'.
- Using it as a general term for any coin outside a South African context.
- Pronouncing with a long 'i' sound (like 'bike').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the tickey coin is obsolete. It was demonetised in the early 1960s.
It is a marked regionalism. Using it with an international audience will likely cause confusion unless explaining South African culture.
It is believed to derive from the Hindi/Urdu 'taka' or the Malagasy 'takaritia', both referring to money, influenced by the English word 'ticket'.
It is pronounced /ˈtɪki/ (TICK-ee), with a short 'i' sound in the first syllable, identical in both British and American English models.
A very small South African coin, historically worth three pence.
Tickey is usually informal, historical, regional (south african english) in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “not worth a tickey (worthless)”
- “on a tickey and a button (with minimal resources)”
- “every tickey counts (every small amount is important)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a tiny 'ticket' to something cheap, costing just three pennies (tick-three).
Conceptual Metaphor
MONEY IS A SMALL OBJECT / VALUE IS SIZE.
Practice
Quiz
The word 'tickey' is primarily used in which variety of English?