| Idiom | Don't Take any Wooden Nickels |
|---|---|
| Example | Have a good trip to Chicago, and don't take any wooden nickels. |
| Meaning | Don't let anyone cheat you or take advantage of you. |
| Origin | This popular American expression was first used in the early 1900s during the great migration from rural areas to the big cities. The phrase meant that one should beware of city slickers, people who would sometimes pass out counterfeit coins ("wooden nickels"). Soon wooden nickels came to represent any kind of trickery or double-dealing. |
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