If I am not raving or an immediate threat to others, why the reluctance to provide sustenance?
philosophical musings are often the source of absolute refusal to consider aid to the indigent. The GOP has found a real charmer on this point. It is not working out.
Chump change ??
Moderator Note
Let’s keep the political commentary out of GQ, please.
I was thinking perhaps “takings for the day”
From the beggar’s POV “loot”, “swag”, “bounty”, “haul”, etc. are all cromulent words. With or without “daily” attached.
From the giver’s POV I propose “griftgift”: money given to a conman. Some of these folks are in genuine need and buy food with their swag. Others have the “Will work for food. God Bless.” sign but just want money for booze or drugs since they’re well fed at the local shelter. So they can be considered a petty grifter.
It’d be used as verb or noun like this: “Did you see the panhandler down by the corner? Yeah, I griftgifted him a buck. Really? I’ve never given a griftgift and don’t intend to start now.”
For the squeegee folks who’re making a nuisance of themselves until paid to go away, perhaps “griftgraft” instead: a bribe to a conman.
If you wanna go highbrow you can use “griftgeld” (pronounced roughly “griftgeldt”) modelled on Danegeld - Wikipedia.
Because it encourages people to beg not get jobs or help.
I give plenty of aid to the homeless, used to work with a program back in San Jose. Time, energy, donations. Just not cash hand outs, which are considered by many to do more harm than good.
Thanks LSLGuy. The Germans have a good word “Wegwerfgeld”, “throwaway money” (any proper English word for that?) which is really what I was trying to find in English; Money that is of little consequence to the giver, but to the recipient beggar could certainly be viewed as a “haul”
In US English, “pocket change” refers to a sum that’s insignificant to the spender. When a seriously rich dude buys a new Rolls Royce for $400K he’s “just spending pocket change.” When I leave an extra $10 on the table for an especially sweet & harried diner waitress, that’s “pocket change” for me.
It doesn’t *necessarily *carry the connotation of a gift, an alm, nor that the amount is necessarily large to the recipient.
Well, there’s also the aforementioned “spare change,” which to me kind of feels similar to the idea of “throwaway money,” i.e., money that you can spare.
After the less specific ‘alms’ I first thought of ‘spare change’. Nagging at the back of my mind is some literary reference to money given to beggars.
I suspect that some of the alms I give out is going to booze or smokes. I would rather it get spent on food or something more important, but I figure that the “risk” I take giving away charity. I don’t have the ability to make them do what they don’t want to do. If and when this risk bothers me enough, I’ll stop giving alms.
I think “pocket change” and “spare change” are as close as we’ll get to any neutral phrasing for the money we give to panhandlers. Panhandlers will frequently call out “Any spare change?”. What they call their collections is another matter.
Thank you all. Very helpful.
I’ve heard beggars called almsmen before. I’ve also heard money given to beggars referred to as dole, pittances and collect thought I don’t think those are the words you’re looking for.
Tax free?