When I Was A Child If I Asked How Much Something Cost I Was Told "money And ......"

[gillyanna]

money and ( fair words?) Does that ring any bells with anyone?

[Buenchico]

Google finds a few references to it, including this one:
http://www.openwriting.com/archives/2007/03/mothers_words_1.php
(That's well worth a read. I particularly enjoyed the last saying in that list!)

[maurice]

From the many answers on this subject that you can Google, it's obvious its use is restricted to the North of England. Did your mum come from there?

[BlackadderV]

The other expression I remember was when you asked someone how old they were, and the answer was "As old as my tongue and a little bit older than my teeth"

[Ric.ror]

I remember 'fair words of money' being said if we asked how much anything was

[twinandearth]

The fair words would have been.... Please, and Thank You!

[Zacs-Master]

One of my uncle Roy's favourite sayings.