ninepence

- as ninepence used in similes expressing high satisfaction. informal

1968Catherine AirdHenrietta Who? A rare old state it was in … but your mother … had it right as ninepence in next to no time.

2012The Register Top archaeologists are chuffed as ninepence this week to announce that they have unearthed a massive statue … which was probably an 'idol' tumbled down by a terrible race of warriors referred to in the Bible.

no more than ninepence in the shilling of low intelligence. dated

☞ Since the decimalization of the British coinage, this phrase has gradually fallen out of use, but there are numerous other humorous variations on the theme of someone not possessing their proper share of brains or intelligence, for example a sandwich short of a picnic (seesandwich).