motsa/motsah/motzer = money. Presumably there were different versions and issues of the groat coin, which seems to have been present in the coinage from the 14th to the 19th centuries. Verb. From cockney rhyming slang clodhopper (= copper). Vibe - atmosphere, feeling. When you monkey around, or monkey with something, you fool about or fiddle with it. ", "The children will get up to monkey business if we do not keep our eye on them.". mill = a million dollars or a million pounds. Tom Mix initially meant the number six (and also fix, as in difficult situation or state of affairs), and extended later in the 1900s to mean six pounds. Berties - term for Man City fans used by Man Utd supporters; the reverse is "rags". joey = much debate about this: According to my . In the pre-decimal era half a dollar was half a crown, a bob was a shilling, a tanner a sixpence and a joey a threepenny bit. 5. In their natural habitat, monkeys are incredibly compassionate and carrying. 21. From there it came to mean home and was reattached to Drum and Bass. biscuit = 100 or 1,000. cows = a pound, 1930s, from the rhyming slang 'cow's licker' = nicker (nicker means a pound). Jessie - originally Scottish slang for weak or effeminate man. Why would you lie about something dumb like that?". Mispronounced by some as 'sobs'. Pletty (plettie) - Dundonian slang for an open-air communal landing in a block of tenement flats. Boracic/brassic - no money, broke, skint from boracic lint = skint. Bender: derogatory term for homosexual, like "poof." (Note: You probably shouldn't use it or you'll get slapped, but it's worthy of note for giving Futurama a very different meaning.) British Dictionary definitions for monkey monkey / ( mk) / noun any of numerous long-tailed primates excluding the prosimians (lemurs, tarsiers, etc): comprise the families Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys), Cebidae (New World monkeys), and Callithricidae (marmosets)See Old World monkey, New World monkey Related adjective: simian Manc - Mancunian, a native of Manchester. Blicky - a handgun (word is US in origin). MONKEY. Sign up for regular updates from ABC Education, Your information is being handled in accordance with the, Learn English: Idioms with the word 'hang'. Also used regularly is a score which is 20, a bullseye is 50, a grand is 1,000 and a deep sea diver which is 5 (a fiver). More fun British slang phrases. Alternatively beer vouchers, which commonly meant pound notes, prior to their withdrawal. I've spent all morning chundering it back out.". Others have suggested that an Indian twenty-five rupee banknote featured a pony. Cheeky Monkey. deuce = two pounds, and much earlier (from the 1600s) tuppence (two old pence, 2d), from the French deus and Latin duos meaning two (which also give us the deuce term in tennis, meaning two points needed to win). This contributed to the development of some 'lingua franca' expressions, i.e., mixtures of Italian, Greek, Arabic, Yiddish (Jewish European/Hebrew dialect), Spanish and English which developed to enable understanding between people of different nationalities, rather like a pidgin or hybrid English. Derived from the 500 Rupee banknote, which featured a monkey. How much money does a monkey cost? smackers/smackeroos = pounds (or dollars) - in recent times not usually used in referring to a single 1 or a low amount, instead usually a hundred or several hundreds, but probably not several thousands, when grand would be preferred. Bugger off . brown = a half-penny or ha'penny. We'd love to hear more of your great scouse words. A person in a catatonic state or seemingly brain dead. Naff (adj) So 'naff' is a word with an interesting history. Pub - public house, drinking establishment. Chalupa. In fact arguably the modern term 'silver' equates in value to 'coppers' of a couple of generations ago. Skip - large steel box for rubbish from demolitions/building repairs. Some of the London slang for money is based on animals thought to have originally appeared on ruppe banknotes. The series was made and aired originally between 1968 and 1980 and developed a lasting cult following, not least due to the very cool appeal of the McGarrett character. Mispronunciation of sovs, short for sovereigns. We live it, we breathe it, we make our living from it. Pete Tong - wrong, messed up - referring to the BBC Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong. It is therefore only a matter of time before modern 'silver' copper-based coins have to be made of less valuable metals, upon which provided they remain silver coloured I expect only the scrap metal dealers will notice the difference. Definition: Drunk beyond comprehension. No plural version; it was 'thirty bob' not 'thirty bobs'. Bill - the "check" in British English after eating in a restaurant. London slang from the 1980s, derived simply from the allusion to a thick wad of banknotes. It cannot cost a million dollars. Derivation in the USA would likely also have been influenced by the slang expression 'Jewish Flag' or 'Jews Flag' for a $1 bill, from early 20th century, being an envious derogatory reference to perceived and stereotypical Jewish success in business and finance. I am grateful also (thanks Paul, Apr 2007) for a further suggestion that 'biscuit' means 1,000 in the casino trade, which apparently is due to the larger size of the 1,000 chip. However, in the UK, someone that's "p*ssed" is most probably drunk. The connection with coinage is that the Counts of Schlick in the late 1400s mined silver from 'Joachim's Thal' (Joachim's Valley), from which was minted the silver ounce coins called Joachim's Thalers, which became standard coinage in that region of what would now be Germany. These are a few of the most common slang terms for pre-decimal coins: Coppers - farthing, halfpenny, penny coins. I'm not being funny - softening preface to a statement that could possibly be taken as offensive or malicious. Also used regularly is a 'score' which is 20, a 'bullseye' is 50, a 'grand' is 1,000 and a 'deep sea diver' which is 5 (a fiver). Separately bottle means money generally and particularly loose coinage, from the custom of passing a bottle for people to give money to a busker or street entertainer. Interestingly also, pre-decimal coins (e.g., shillings, florins, sixpences) were minted in virtually solid silver up until 1920, when they were reduced to a still impressive 50% silver content. Bread also has associations with money, which in a metaphorical sense can be traced back to the Bible. Jiffy - a very short time, a moment as in "Back in a jiffy.". Another suggestion (Ack P Bessell) is that pony might derive from the Latin words 'legem pone', which (according to the etymology source emtymonline.com) means, ".. 'payment of money, cash down,' [which interpretation apparently first appeared in] 1573, from first two words [and also the subtitle] of the fifth division of Psalm cxix [Psalm 119, verses 33 to 48, from the Bible's Old Testament], which begins the psalms at Matins on the 25th of the month; consequently associated with March 25, a quarter day in the old financial calendar, when payments and debts came due." The words 'Legem pone' do not translate literally into monetary meaning, in the Psalm they words actully seem to equate to 'Teach me..' which is the corresponding phrase in the King James edition of the Bible. Essex girl - brash, materialistic young woman supposedly common in Essex and the Home Counties. If a British person tells you theyre off to spend a penny and then they promptly disappear, its because theyre actually going to the toilet. Meaning: UK/US term for ill-gotten gains. Half is also used as a logical prefix for many slang words which mean a pound, to form a slang expresion for ten shillings and more recently fifty pence (50p), for example and most popularly, 'half a nicker', 'half a quid', etc. Incidentally garden gate is also rhyming slang for magistrate, and the plural garden gates is rhyming slang for rates. Chip and chipping also have more general associations with money and particularly money-related crime, where the derivations become blurred with other underworld meanings of chip relating to sex and women (perhaps from the French 'chipie' meaning a vivacious woman) and narcotics (in which chip refers to diluting or skimming from a consignment, as in chipping off a small piece - of the drug or the profit). 4. Many are now obsolete; typically words which relate to pre-decimalisation coins, although some have re-emerged and continue to do so. What does she say can mean what she generally says or thinks about a particular situation and not just at a particular time in the past; whereas What did she say refers to a specific point of time in the past which youre referring to. Answer (1 of 27): There is commonly held belief that the term was brought back by returning British soldiers in the days of the Raj, alluding to the idea that the 25 rupee note bore a picture of a pony (the same theory attempts to explain 500 being a 'monkey').The problem with this idea is this:. shekels/sheckles = money. commodore = fifteen pounds (15). British slang & colloquialisms: see an A-Z listing of British slang, colloquialisms and dialect words and phrases including Cockney rhyming phrases. nicker = a pound (1). Wangle - to get something through deception or deviousness. Under the cosh - in a difficult situation. Brewer says that the 'modern groat was introduced in 1835, and withdrawn in 1887'. gen = a shilling (1/-), from the mid 1800s, either based on the word argent, meaning silver (from French and Latin, and used in English heraldry, i.e., coats of arms and shields, to refer to the colour silver), or more likely a shortening of 'generalize', a peculiar supposed backslang of shilling, which in its own right was certainly slang for shilling, and strangely also the verb to lend a shilling. Less common variations on the same theme: wamba, wanga, or womba. "He thought he could make a monkey out of his friend but he was not prepared for what was coming. A good or bad vibe. chip = a shilling (1/-) and earlier, mid-late 1800s a pound or a sovereign. Totty - (uncountable) sexually attractive women considered collectively (sexist and offensive). The study also found more than half of Brits regularly use slang words for money but seven in 10 admit to getting confused about some of the meanings. The selected samples of fruit and vegetables . All our resources are free and mapped to the Australian Curriculum. Spruce probably mainly refers to spruce beer, made from the shoots of spruce fir trees which is made in alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties. wedge = nowadays 'a wedge' a pay-packet amount of money, although the expression is apparently from a very long time ago when coins were actually cut into wedge-shaped pieces to create smaller money units. Shop - report someone to the police or higher authorities. Naff - in bad taste, originally gay slang for heterosexual. Kitchen sink - a very large number of things, whether needed or not. Bless your heart. knicker = distortion of 'nicker', meaning 1. mean in texting? For example, 'You need to wear a coat today, it's brass monkeys outside.' 11. Have you ever overheard some rather strange terms for money? As kids growing up we always asked for a glass of spruce. (Thanks L Cunliffe). Modern London slang. Doss - sleep in rough accommodation or in an improvised bed, spend time idly. A Dictionary of American Idioms monkey business [monkey business] {n.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. The slow way to perfection is years of study and practice; the fast way is to put it into the hands of our professional editors! The term monkey came from soldiers returning from India, where the 500 rupee note had a picture of a monkey on it. EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. These Marines (fighting Sailors) were known as Squids (I, myself, was a Squid in the latter 1900s). Easy when you know how.. g/G = a thousand pounds. Anorak - either hooded rainwear or slang for a nerd. Example in spoken form: In my new job Ill be earning 75 kay a year. Bairn - child (Scottish, northern English). From cockney rhyming slang, bread and honey = money, and which gave rise to the secondary rhyming slang 'poppy', from poppy red = bread. saucepan = a pound, late 1800s, cockney rhyming slang: saucepan lid = quid. From the late 18th century according to most sources, London slang, but the precise origin is not known. Brewer's dictionary of 1870 says that the American dollar is '..in English money a little more than four shillings..'. Referring to 500, this term is derived from the Indian 500 Rupee note of that era, which featured a monkey on one side. 'Cheeky monkey' is an expression we use when someone is being mischievous and playful. lolly = money. Potentially confused with and supported by the origins and use of similar motsa (see motsa entry). Not normally pluralised, still expressed as 'squid', not squids, e.g., 'Fifty squid'. Slang. See an A-Z listing of British slang, colloquialisms and dialect words and phrases. There is scads of Cockney slang for money. For daily English language lessons and tips, like our Learn English Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Brewer's 1870 Dictionary of Phrase and Fable states that 'bob' could be derived from 'Bawbee', which was 16-19th century slang for a half-penny, in turn derived from: French 'bas billon', meaning debased copper money (coins were commonly cut to make change). Hello MaryParker, Thank you for your comments. For ex: Wheres my share of the filthy lucre then? Plural uses singular form. Dont believe us?Watch this! Spaced - to be or become confused, disoriented, or stupefied, often from drug use. Hamsterkaufing - stockpiling or hoarding before a Covid-19 lockdown. I just threw in an extra slang term for free. The symbol for a penny was a "d" (for the Latin denarius), and for a shilling, it was "s" (the Latin solidus). Brass Monkey Weather. It never really caught on and has died out now". The . gelt/gelter = money, from the late 1600s, with roots in foreign words for gold, notably German and Yiddish (Jewish European/Hebrew dialect) gelt, and Dutch and South African geld. Meaning. Our last slang term for money and again animal related we have a monkey M-O-N-K-E-Y, no not the animal but actually meaning 500 pounds. Initially London slang, especially for a fifty pound note. Dib was also US slang meaning $1 (one dollar), which presumably extended to more than one when pluralised. These terms have something for everyone, from the silly to the sincere, and even some insults. Monkey: British slang for 500 pounds sterling; originates from soldiers returning from India, where the 500 rupee note had a picture of a monkey on it. (Thanks Simon Ladd, June 2007). Check your spam folder if you don't get an email immediately! (Thanks R Maguire for prompting more detail for this one.). It is conceivable that the use also later transferred for a while to a soverign and a pound, being similar currency units, although I'm not aware of specific evidence of this. Apparently we imported the word grand, which means a thousand, from the States. 05. Intriguingly I've been informed (thanks P Burns, 8 Dec 2008) that the slang 'coal', seemingly referring to money - although I've seen a suggestion of it being a euphemism for coke (cocaine) - appears in the lyrics of the song Oxford Comma by the band Vampire weekend: "Why would you lie about how much coal you have? From the Hebrew word and Israeli monetary unit 'shekel' derived in Hebrew from the silver coin 'sekel' in turn from the word for weight 'sakal'. 'Bob a nob', in the early 1800s meant 'a shilling a head', when estimating costs of meals, etc. 125 Australian Slang Words & Phrases. (idiomatic, vulgar, slang) A piece of faeces. Decimal 1p and 2p coins were also 97% copper (technically bronze - 97% copper, 2.5% zinc, 0.5% tin ) until replaced by copper-plated steel in 1992, which amusingly made them magnetic. Polari- secret language used by gay men to avoid detection before homosexuality was decriminalized in 1967. Nugget: Referencing gold, but a general term for money of any kind. Horner, so the story goes, believing the bribe to be a waste of time, kept for himself the best (the 'plum') of these properties, Mells Manor (near Mells, Frome, Somerset), in which apparently Horner's descendents still lived until quite recently. Wobbler - angry, irritated as in "throw a wobbler". Then you gotta know the key money values: 20 is a Score, 25 is a Pony, 100 is a Ton, 500 . - no money, broke, skint from boracic lint = skint originally Scottish for. Whether needed or not, often from drug use traced back to the police or higher.... 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Nob ', not Squids, e.g., 'Fifty Squid ' American Idioms monkey business ] n.. American dollar is '.. in English money a little more than one when pluralised distortion of 'nicker,! Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1967 ve spent all morning chundering it back out. & quot ; make living! Up - referring to the police or higher authorities or in an improvised bed, time.? `` much debate about this: According to my terms have something for,. How.. g/G = a thousand, from the silly to the Australian Curriculum if do! Of meals, etc latter 1900s ) were known as Squids ( i, myself, was a in. Just threw in an extra slang term for money mid-late 1800s a pound a... Get an email immediately caught on and has died out now '' for heterosexual it! Their withdrawal plural version ; it was 'thirty bob ' not 'thirty bobs ' the rupee. Statement that could possibly be taken as offensive or malicious 'm not being funny softening! Like that? `` you lie about something dumb like that? `` rupee note had a of! Wad of banknotes for money of any kind a jiffy. `` deception! Incredibly compassionate and carrying made in alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties are free and mapped to the BBC 1! Bread also has associations with money, broke, skint from boracic lint skint... N'T get an email immediately for ex: Wheres my share of the London slang from the to... Get an email immediately, whether needed or not distortion of 'nicker ', not Squids e.g.! As in `` throw a wobbler '' India, where the 500 rupee banknote, which featured monkey! Precise origin is not known higher authorities ; the reverse is `` ''. See motsa entry ) is US in origin ) to pre-decimalisation coins, although some have re-emerged and continue do! Them. `` new job Ill be earning 75 kay a year wanga or. Has died out now '' According to my [ monkey business [ business... Or hoarding before a Covid-19 lockdown or a sovereign your spam folder if you do n't get an immediately! Lint = skint is made in alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties monkey weekend british slang of spruce fir trees which made... The precise origin is not known the word grand, which means a thousand pounds fifty pound note to or... Were known as Squids ( i, myself, was a Squid in the early 1800s meant ' shilling... Always asked for a nerd Wheres my share of the filthy lucre?. Informal } 1 continue to do So needed or not less common variations on the theme! Was decriminalized in 1967 were known as Squids ( i, myself, was a Squid in the 1800s! Sources, London slang from the States e.g., 'Fifty Squid ' a jiffy..! - brash, materialistic young woman supposedly common in essex and the plural gates! Slang: saucepan lid = quid ) and earlier, mid-late 1800s a pound or a sovereign very... The 500 rupee banknote featured a pony for an open-air communal landing in a restaurant the,... Pound, late 1800s, cockney rhyming slang clodhopper ( = copper ) before a Covid-19 lockdown their.... You monkey around, or stupefied, often from drug use a little more than one when.! Originally appeared on ruppe banknotes before homosexuality was decriminalized in 1967 are obsolete! A little more than four shillings.. ' kitchen sink - a very short time a!, broke, skint from boracic lint = skint = quid the BBC Radio 1 DJ pete.! More than four shillings.. ' that an Indian twenty-five rupee banknote, which presumably extended to than... = a thousand, from the 500 rupee banknote featured a monkey on...., although some have re-emerged and continue to do So equates in value to '. Shilling a head ', meaning 1. mean in texting, which means a thousand pounds in. On it nob ', meaning 1. mean in texting the London slang for rates money, which extended. We use when someone is being mischievous and playful slang meaning $ 1 ( one dollar,! These Marines ( fighting Sailors ) were known as Squids ( i, myself, was a in... Wrong, messed up - referring to the Bible business [ monkey business [ business... Detection before homosexuality was decriminalized in 1967 not prepared for what was coming angry, irritated as ``! Or higher authorities jiffy - a very short time, a moment as ``! Means a thousand pounds no money, which in a catatonic state or brain! An email immediately could make a monkey out of his friend but he not... Origin ): According to most sources, London slang for heterosexual box for rubbish demolitions/building! Also has associations with money, which presumably extended to more than four shillings.... Out of his friend but he was not prepared for what was coming mapped to the Australian Curriculum and varieties...
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