# Are there any words for the money given to beggars? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 30, 2017, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569 "2017-04-30T12:44:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/1 "2017-04-30T12:44:59Z")
Hi Are there any words to describe the money given specifically to beggars on a street? Are there any words for the money collected specifically by beggars on the street? I look forward to your feedback. ---
**Author:** ![igor\_frankensteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@igor\_frankensteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igor_frankensteen)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/2 "2017-04-30T12:48:02Z")
There are numerous joke answers, of course, but no, money is money. Some people might use old references, like “alms,” but that’s just because it’s an old Biblical reference to the name for money. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/3 "2017-04-30T12:55:46Z")
“Alms” is the word, and no, it’s not just an old word for money. It’s derived from the Greek word “eleemosyne” which in turn comes from Greek words for “mercy” and “pity”. It specifically means a gift to the poor for charity. See the wiki article on “Alms”: [Alms - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alms) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/4 "2017-04-30T13:10:11Z")
Except “alms” just means money give out of charity to the poor, not specifically to street beggars. AFAIK, there is no English word for that. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/5 "2017-04-30T13:16:36Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Except “alms” just means money give out of charity to the poor, not specifically to street beggars. AFAIK, there is no English word for that. Yes thank you, I’m familiar with the word “alms” but I thought it would sound rather dated today. I thought perhaps there’s a slang word that people routine use for the pittance they give or the pittance a beggar might receive. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/6 "2017-04-30T14:29:40Z")
Handouts? ---
**Author:** ![Graymalkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@Graymalkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graymalkin)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/7 "2017-05-01T01:45:48Z")
Used to hear “Spare change?” ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/8 "2017-05-01T05:57:24Z")
baksheesh? I think it can also mean a bribe, though. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/9 "2017-05-01T07:22:05Z")
Donations. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/10 "2017-05-01T07:52:20Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > baksheesh? > > I think it can also mean a bribe, though. Baksheesh, from Persian, means a gratuity or a tip. If a street person does a nominal service for you - polishes your shoes, carries your bag, gives you directions - and you give him money, that’s baksheesh. But if he simply holds out a begging bowl and you put money in, not so much. Baksheesh in the sense of bribe comes from the idea that you are paying someone for the service of introducing you to a lucrative opportunity. Needless to say, it’s derogatory and racially-loaded. Only money given to brown-skinned persons would be described as baksheesh. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/11 "2017-05-01T13:52:25Z")
“Handout” is a perfectly good term. “Alms” is a bit old-fashioned, but still perfectly valid as well. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/12 "2017-05-01T13:58:16Z")
Hint: You have to read past the thread title to see the actual question. Not just “beggars”, but “beggars on the street”. A word for money given to them, but that does not apply to other types of charity. Good luck finding this word. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/13 "2017-05-01T14:35:16Z")
“Alms” came immediately to mind, but I’d guess that if there was a jargon phrase within the panhandling community, [this would be a likely place to find it.](https://fr.scribd.com/document/48655068/The-Beggar-s-Handbook-A-Guide-to-Successful-Panhandling) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/14 "2017-05-01T15:38:45Z")
I’d give my right alm for a better word. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/15 "2017-05-01T19:53:30Z")
Addiction enablings? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/16 "2017-05-01T20:18:25Z")
“Beer money”? 🙂 Seriously, the OP asks an interesting question. It’s the kind of thing that you’d expect would have a modern snarky buzzword. OTOH, I suspect panhandling has seen better days. I never carry anything smaller than a $20 and can go weeks without breaking one of the couple I carry for emergency use only. Everything else, and I mean _everything_, is paid by card or phone. Cash is so last Century. So even if I wanted to give a street beggar a buck or three I can’t. No matter what I’d call it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2017, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/17 "2017-05-01T20:24:20Z")
I give food to the person in front of me, and/or I donate money to the local foodbank. I never give cash to beggars or homeless people, suspecting that it will probably go towards unhealthy or illegal purposes. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/18 "2017-05-03T16:30:53Z")
Suggestion: “pan handlings.” Similar to “winnings” used to describe money or other prizes gained through gaming, lottery, gambling, etc. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/19 "2017-05-03T16:44:10Z")
"out of pocket cash donations’ is a term used for things like the guy on the corner with a bell and a bucket for Christmas. Then, deductible. To a beggar, not deductible. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569/20 "2017-05-03T16:47:48Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Baksheesh, from Persian, means a gratuity or a tip. If a street person does a nominal service for you - polishes your shoes, carries your bag, gives you directions - and you give him money, that’s baksheesh. But if he simply holds out a begging bowl and you put money in, not so much. > > Baksheesh in the sense of bribe comes from the idea that you are paying someone for the service of introducing you to a lucrative opportunity. > > Needless to say, it’s derogatory and racially-loaded. Only money given to brown-skinned persons would be described as baksheesh. No, it’s not either. It’s a\* local term in a local language. \* Yes, it’s only money given to “brown skinned” persons as people tend to be brown in the areas where that’s a local word.:rolleyes: Of course\* limosna\* or _esmola_ would also tend only apply to “brown skinned” persons . God only know what you’d think of _sadaka_ . [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-words-for-the-money-given-to-beggars/785569.md?page=2)