a banker's dozen

One less than a dozen, i.e., 11. A play on "a baker's dozen" (13 rather than 12), it refers to lending in which interest is deducted at the time of the loan, therefore yielding less than what the loan actually stipulated. A soccer team has a banker's dozen players on the field at any given time. I can't believe my grandparents had a banker's dozen of kids. My wife and I feel overwhelmed with just two kids! A: "Hey, I thought you said he gave you a baker's dozen, but there's only a banker's dozen here." B: "Yeah, I might have eaten two of them on my way home."