TERMS FOR MONEY 1/3

What slang terms are there for money in your language? Do you know the origin of the
words? Do you know any slang terms for money in English?
Discuss these questions and then read the first part of the article and check your ideas:
1 Which of these is NOT a term for money: spondulix – doobies – reddies – buckaroos?
2 What percentage of adults finds discussing the subject of money difficult?
3 When do we use the term to ‘tap’ for payment?

The Independent May 2019

cash has shown terms like for contactless payment.

The weird and wonderful
British terms for money
Talking about money is a form
of conversation that never
fails to cause discomfort.
Luckily, the English language
is nothing if not adaptable.
Alongside commonplace
terms like “dosh”, “bob” and
“dough”, a new study on
the most popular terms for
“spondulix”, “reddies” and
“buckaroos” are also popular.
Lexicographer and
Countdown’s Dictionary
Corner host, Susie Dent,
teamed up with money-
sharing app Pingit to shine a
light on the diverse language
of money.
Ms Dent said: “Almost
half the adult population
finds discussing the subject
of money difficult. Slang
words make us feel more
comfortable and confident.”
Many said the evolution
of money and payments
over the past 10 years has
impacted the words they use
every day. For example, when
they speak about “tapping”
The changing of the
linguistic guard also looks set
to continue as many believe
we will have different words
for money and payments in
20 years’ time as technology
evolves.
“From the moment it was
introduced, money created
social relationships – from
bartering with one another in
ancient times to transferring
funds amongst friends and
businesses in modern day,”
said Darren Foulds, managing
director of Pingit.
“It’s no surprise, then,
that we’ve developed a rich
vocabulary to make our
conversations more light-
hearted and fun.”

Do people where you live find it difficult to discuss money? What new words have
come into use in your language as a result of the evolution of money and payments?
Discuss these questions and then read the next part of the article and check your ideas:
1 The slang for a £10 note is a Pavarotti. Can you think why?
2 Until the 19th century, coins rather than notes were the norm.
What aspect of the coins gave us these terms: gingerbread,
yellow boys, canaries, goldfinch and marigold?
3 Cockney rhyming slang for a £5 note is a Lady Godiva. How
much is a Commodore worth? Think about the group the
Commodores and their best-known song.
4 Why are so many words we use for food also used to mean
money?
5 The term “greenback” emerged after the creation of the
dollar bill and a number of green vegetables followed in its
TERMS FOR MONEY 2/3

wake. Can you name any?

6 £1 is named after the man who appeared on the old £1 note (see above). Who is it?
7 £10 is named after the man who appears on the £10 note (see above). Who is it?
8 The sum of £2,000 is called an Archer after the novelist Jeffrey Archer. Why?

of rhyming wordplay for £15. been used by London tailors

Money slang and its origins
Pavarotti – Slang for a £10
note or tenner, this is a pun
on the name of the famous
tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
Marigold – Until the 19th
century, coins rather than
notes were the norm,
and their colour created a
number of terms. Gold for
example gave us the terms
“gingerbread”, “yellow boys”,
“canaries”, and “goldfinch”.
“Marigold” once denoted
any golden coin, but it is now
more specifically used for the
sum of £1m.
Commodore – The result of
a complicated and clever bit
Cockney rhyming slang for a in the 17th century for pieces
fiver is a “Lady Godiva”, and of material pinched from a
the group the Commodores job and sold for a profit.
are best-known for their song Sir Isaac – Sir Isaac Newton
Three Times A Lady. was the face of the old £1
Biscuits – An extension of the note before it went out of
popular slang link between circulation.
money and food, “biscuits” Darwin – A £10 note, which
joins “bread”, “dough”, features the face of Charles
“cake”, “sugar”, “potatoes”, Darwin.
and many other foodstuffs in
the money lexicon, which are Archer – A reference to
seen as either the staples or the libel case involving the
the sweeteners of life. novelist Jeffrey Archer. The
term is slang for the sum of
Cabbage – The colour of £2,000, a reference to the
money, originating from amount Mr Archer allegedly
the United States, has also offered as a bribe which was
created a host of slang terms. the basis of the case.
The term “greenback” quickly
emerged after the creation
of the dollar bill by Abraham
Lincoln, and a number of
green vegetables followed
in its wake, such as “kale”,
“lettuce”, and “cabbage”.
“Cabbage” had in fact already

What slang terms are there for notes and amounts of money in your language?
Find words and expressions in the article that mean the following.
1 a feeling of being uncomfortable physically or mentally
2 not unusual; ordinary
3 very informal language that is usually spoken rather than written
4 exchange (goods or services) for other goods or services without using money
5 amusing and entertaining
6 a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word
7 intelligent
8 an important product, especially a food, that people eat or use regularly
9 succeeding, following, after
10 steal
TERMS FOR MONEY 3/3

Write sentences of your own with the words and expressions.

e.g. Modern day bartering often involves people exchanging services, for example,
a lawyer will give a personal trainer some legal advice in exchange for a training
session in the gym.

What does the highlighted expression in this extract from the article mean?

The Independent May 2019

…teamed up with money-sharing app Pingit to shine a light on the diverse language of money.

There are other expressions in English with the word ‘light’.

What do you think these mean?
1 light at the end of the tunnel 2 in (the) light of
3 come to light 4 shed light on
d
light at the en 5 in a good light 6 see the light
of the tunnel
7 be light years away 8 go out like a light

Now match the expressions to these explanations:

__ become widely known or evident
shed light on __ be a long way in the future
__ fall asleep quickly
__ in consideration of; in relationship to
__ an indication that a period of difficulty is ending
__ help to explain by providing further information
__ understand or realise something
__ in a way that makes someone or something look good

Rewrite these statements using the idioms above:

e.g. During the investigation various problems with the organisation became obvious.
> During the investigation various problems with the organisation came to light.
1 Their work with charities has ensured that they are thought of favourably by everyone.
2 The new information about his gambling debts helped explain why he was stealing
from his company.
3 After seeing the new evidence, the judge decided not to continue with the trial and
acquitted the defendant.
4 It’s been a long battle, but finally we think we have resolved the worst problems.
5 I was so tired, I fell asleep as soon as I got into bed.
6 Space travel for the average person will not be available for a very long time.
7 I didn’t realise until I was in my thirties that the most important thing is to enjoy your job.
TERMS FOR MONEY
teacher’s notes: page 1 student pages: 3 level: B1+ week of: 20.05.19
From the first reading exercise, question 1
doobies = marijuana cigarettes
Find words and expressions in the article that mean the following.
1 discomfort 6 pun / wordplay
2 commonplace 7 clever
3 slang 8 staple
4 barter 9 in its wake
5 light-hearted 10 pinch

What does the highlighted expression in this extract from the article mean?
shine a light on = examine something more closely or explain it so that it becomes
clearer
Now match the expressions to these explanations:
3 become widely known or evident
7 be a long way in the future
8 fall asleep quickly
2 in consideration of; in relationship to
1 an indication that a period of difficulty is ending
4 help to explain by providing further information
6 understand or realise something
5 in a way that makes someone or something look good

Rewrite these statements using the idioms above:

1 Their work with charities has ensured that they are thought of favourably by everyone.
Suggested answer: Their work with charities put them in a good light.
2 The new information about his gambling debts helped explain why he was stealing
from his company.
Suggested answer: The new information about his gambling debts shed light on why
he was stealing from his company.
3 After seeing the new evidence, the judge decided not to continue with the trial and
acquitted the defendant.
Suggested answer: In light of the new evidence, the judge decided not to continue with
the trial and acquitted the defendant.
4 It’s been a long battle, but finally we think we have resolved the worst problems.
Suggested answer: It’s been a long battle, but finally there is light at the end of the
tunnel.
5 I was so tired, I fell asleep as soon as I got into bed.
Suggested answer: I was so tired, I went out like a light.
6 Space travel for the average person will not be available for a very long time.
Suggested answer: Space travel for the average person is light years away.
7 I didn’t realise until I was in my thirties that the most important thing is to enjoy your
job.
Suggested answer: In my thirties, I saw the light and realised that the most important
thing is to enjoy your job.