Sawbuck

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Diagram of a sawbuck.
Diagram of a sawbuck.
A sawbuck.
A sawbuck.

A sawbuck is device for holding rough wood so that it may be sawn into pieces of length usable in a stove or fireplace. Easily made in the field from rough material, it consists of two "X" forms, one at each end, which are stabilized by a central piece. The stock to be cut is placed in the upward facing "V"s of the end pieces where it may then be sawn.

Sawbuck is also slang for a U.S. ten dollar bill. The term may derive from the fact that older versions of the bill included the roman numeral for ten, "X", which resembles one of the ends of the wood supporting device described above; however, this is somewhat problematic because the first use of sawbuck in known print refers to the money and not the wood device. This name was most common in the days of large-sized notes. In poker terminology, "sawski" refers to a sawbuck.

Sawbuck(s) also refers to a dime or ten sack of marijuana in inner city Chicago.

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