E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Shakes.
No great shakes. Nothing extraordinary; no such mighty bargain. The reference is to shingle for the roof of shanties, or to stubble left after harvest for the poor.
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“The cabin itself is quite like that of the modern settlers, but the shingles, called shakes, … make the wood roof unique.”—Harper’s Weekly, July 18th, 1891, p. 534.
I’ll do it in a brace of shakes—instantly, as soon as you can shake twice the dice-box.
