Quarter
Two bits.
This in turn comes from the "pieces of eight" famed in pirate movies - Spanish silver crowns that could be broken into eight pie-slice-shaped "bits" to make change.
Early in American history the Spanish coin was considered equal to a dollar, so each of these "bits" was considered worth 12.5 cents.
Usage: rare.
Synonyms: tayste, crumb, quad.
See also nickle, nibble, byte, dynner.
[Jargon File]
