sawbuck etymology

Etymology:

The term "sawbuck" has two possible etymologies:

• "Sawed bucks": In the late 1800s, "bucks" referred to dollars, particularly silver dollars. "Sawed bucks" meant money that had been cut into pieces to serve as makeshift weights for measuring gold at mines.
• Sawbuck frame: The device used to hold logs for sawing might have been known as a "sawbuck" frame because it resembled a sawhorse with four legs (similar to a buck animal) on which logs were placed for sawing.

Meaning:

• A sawbuck is a wooden frame with four legs, used for sawing logs or other materials.
• Slang for ten dollars (derived from the "sawed bucks" etymology).

Origin:

The term "sawbuck" first appeared in written sources in the mid-1800s, referring to the device used for sawing logs. It is unclear which of the two etymologies is the true origin, but the "sawed bucks" theory is widely accepted.

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