THE UNCOMMON ORIGINS OF SOME COMMON EXPRESSIONS - Baker's Dozen

In this series I will write the origins of some of the most common expressions of phrases that we use in ours day to day life. The facts given here are extracts from a book by the same name that I got long time back from Reader's Digest. I wholeheartedly thank the author 'John Kahn' for this amazing book of trivia

BAKER'S DOZEN

'Consumer protection' is nothing new. Even in the late 16th century, when the phrase baker's dozen is first recorded, tradesmen were subject to heavy penalty for cheating customers - short changing them, selling them shoddy goods or short weight, and so on. To be on the safe side, bakers would add an extra roll or loaf when filling an order for 'a dozen'. Even if they happened to bake underweight rolls, the extra one would ensure that the customer received what he paid for. So as a rule, a customer who ordered a dozen rolls would get thirteen - a baker's dozen.

There is a different theory, equally plausible. Bread and rolls were sold not just by the baker, but by pedlars and stallkeepers too. In buying their supplies from baker, they might expect a discount for their bulk. Whether they got one or not, the baker would make it worth their while by supplying thirteen batches for the price of twelve. The origin baker's dozen, then, according to this derivation, was thirteen batches or trays, rather than thirteen loaves or rolls.