Hello. I’d like to know if the phrase in Shania Twain’s song Ka-ching means ‘catching’ in the sense ‘absorbing’.
“Ka-ching” means money, or more commonly to acquire money. E.g. “I bought a scratch lotto ticket and won $500! Ka-ching!” It’s supposed to be the sound a cash register makes.
If you listen to Shania Twain’s song that’s exactly what it means in the lyrics. The song is about greed.
Isn’t it usually pronounced “cha-ching”? Sounds more cash register-ish.
In my experience, both are common. Anyway, I can’t see how one is intrinsically more cash register-ish than the other. People tend to become allied to the onomatopoeia they’re used to.
Cha-ching does indeed sound more cash register-ish, but ka-ching is the commonly used vernacular.
In any case, that’s what I had suspected, although, the bit about the onomatopaeic resemblance by acsenray was quite novel … never thought of it.
Thanx for all the responses, really
anna muzinska
zgorzelec, poland
When someone bought UP! for me last year, this is one of the songs that stuck out. I could have swore I heard a similar idea from an obscure 1970’s style “Progressive band”, but maybe I’m wrong. 
BTW, it always sounded more like “shush-ka-ling” to me, but I digress.
I know the “sush-ka-ling” sound you’re talking about, Joe K, but that’s a differen sound that cash register make (when the cash drawer slides open).
I think “BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…” sounds more cash register-ish these days. Or perhaps it’s “DOOP… DOOP… DOOP…”
The whole ka-ching or cha-ching thing strikes me as describing a car as going “putt-putt-putt” – that is, just way out of date.
But back to the OP, yes, it’s a cash register.
Lousy kids with your beeping cash registers… in my day, you had to dial a phone, spin a record, and when you pushed an elevator button repeatedly, the buzzing told the elevator operator you were in a hurry, consarn it!
[hijack]The pro golfers on the PGA tour call Scot Hoch “ka-ching” because he is always one of the top money winners. He doesn’t win many tournaments but he sure walks off with a lot of loot every year.[/hijack]
Ahh, but ‘ka-ching’ is among the background sound effects on Pink Floyd’s ‘Money’, which will still be around long after the last
beeping register beeps it’s last…
If we’re going to "drop a dime " on someone nowadays does it have to be “drop thirty five cents”?
I always heard the reference as “ka-ching” but I watched the Dilbert rerun on Comedy Central last night and Dogbert clearly says “cha-ching”. Synchronicity.
Okay, folks, time for a history lesson (that’s what I’m here for, you know).
Yes, “ka-ching” (or “cha-ching”) is meant to mimic the sound of an old time cash register. But, did you ever wonder why on earth anyone would want a cash register to ring?
Here’s why. Back in the 1800’s shop tills usually consisted of a (silent, unnoticed & easily unlocked) cash box or drawer. Dishonest clerks who would pilfer from the till &/or pocket the transaction money without recording the purchase was a HUGE problem for retail merchants.
The cash register kept the sales clerks honest. It would stay locked until the moment the clerk was ready to finalize a customer’s purchase. At transaction time it would display the purchase amount for all the world to see and record (“register”) that amount internally. When the cash drawer sprang open the register would ring to alert the shop owner that a sale was taking place. The owner would look up from his paperwork or whatever to observe that the price was true and transaction was honest. Once the clerk slammed the drawer shut the owner could go back to his/her chores confident that the cash would remain untouched until the next ka-ching was heard.
Wow. That’s cool, stuyguy. Another one of those things I probably could have figured out, but never stopped to wonder about. And now I know. Thanks!
from Ravenman:
“The whole ka-ching or cha-ching thing strikes me as describing a car as going “putt-putt-putt” – that is, just way out of date.”
…apparently, you’ve never seen my car.