# Slang Terms For US Bills **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2006, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675 "2006-10-16T19:55:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/21 "2006-10-17T12:26:58Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] We read of someone earning £40K per annum (or whatever) but nobody talks about a K note, probably because there isn’t one. [/QUOTE] There is a generation-gap thing here though. Nobody over 50 would call £1000 anything other than a “grand”. “K” is more popular with the younger generation that was brought up with the metric system. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/22 "2006-10-17T13:21:13Z")
There are 100 yards in a football field, 100 dollars in a hundred dollar bill, so $100 = a yard Least ways that is how it was 'splained to me. ---
**Author:** ![mazinger\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mazinger\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazinger_z)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/23 "2006-10-17T14:38:42Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] That’s a new one on me. Also, can you tell me where I can get dinner for $5? [/QUOTE] Mickey D’s. They have the 1 bone value menu. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/24 "2006-10-17T14:57:03Z")
$10 = ten spot, dime (drug parlance, as in “dime bag”–though this refers to the dollar amount, not the bill necessarily) $5 = five spot, nickel (as in “nickel bag”) Oldies not previously mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/25 "2006-10-17T15:07:23Z")
[QUOTE=Alive At Both Ends] There is a generation-gap thing here though. Nobody over 50 would call £1000 anything other than a “grand”. “K” is more popular with the younger generation that was brought up with the metric system. [/QUOTE] Interesting. For some reason, I would have thought the UK had similar usage to Australia, where “K” is only ever used in plural - ie. you don’t say, “I’ve got a K to spend”. I’ve never even heard people under twenty years old use that. It’s generally used for discussing annual income. However, “grand” is known to people of every age. ---
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/26 "2006-10-17T15:29:01Z")
Rather silly, but way back in my hippie days, ones were ‘bananas’. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_Lurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_Lurker)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/27 "2006-10-17T15:34:12Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] That’s a new one on me. Also, can you tell me where I can get dinner for $5? [/QUOTE] [Sotto Cinque](http://www.sottocinque.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/28 "2006-10-17T16:42:12Z")
[QUOTE=TheLoadedDog] Interesting. For some reason, I would have thought the UK had similar usage to Australia, where “K” is only ever used in plural - ie. you don’t say, “I’ve got a K to spend”. I’ve never even heard people under twenty years old use that. It’s generally used for discussing annual income. However, “grand” is known to people of every age. [/QUOTE] Sorry, I seem to have confused you. My bad. “K” is only used in the plural sense here, as well. The difference is that older people will say, for example, “twenty grand” exclusively, whereas younger people are more likely to say “twenty K” (though they both understand and use “twenty grand” as well). Note, by “younger” I don’t mean “under 20”. Kids have no business talking about grown-up numbers like 20000. I mean “old enough to have a job, but not old enough to be obsessed with your pension arrangements”. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/29 "2006-10-17T19:28:13Z")
I’ve lived 50 years without ever hearing “yard” in terms of money. I also have to dispute the bill = president’s name convention, for anything other than Benjamins. I’ve never heard of a “Lincoln”, for example (and nothing over $100 is in circulation any more, btw). Casinos refer to $5 and $25 chips as “nickels” and “quarters”, respectively. Which segues nicely into a related topic – notice how every US coin has a nickname? The 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent, 25 cent and 50 cent coins are never called that: they’re penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half, respectively. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/30 "2006-10-17T19:31:15Z")
[QUOTE=Askance] One dollar coins have 5 kangaroos on them, so I’ve heard a 20c piece referred to as a roo (admittedly not commonly). [/QUOTE] Similar to the Canadian $1 coin, the Loonie. And it’s $2 companion, the Twonie. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/31 "2006-10-17T19:31:44Z")
[QUOTE=Godfrey Daniels] Rather silly, but way back in my hippie days, ones were ‘bananas’. [/QUOTE] Yes. There’s a story, probably a UL, where a TV pitchman for a used car lot offers to sell “this little beauty to the first person to come in here with 1500 bananas.” He ended up sheepishly turning it over to a sharp cookie with a truckload of actual bananas. Dollars are also clams, dolls, Georges, smackers, smackeroos, shekels, simoleons, greenbacks, skins, and dozens more I don’t know. Recent dollar coins are called Susies and Sackies. Sackies are also Goldies, for the color, not the metal. Money in general can be long green, cabbage, lettuce, dough, bread, do-re-mi, grease (a bribe,) wherewithal, capital, chump change (with contempt, a small amount,) elephant dollars (a whole lot,) and vig (a service charge or interest, usually illegal.) When you pay what you owe, it’s pony up, pungle up, fork it over, get squared, shake the change from your old fruit jar, raid the piggy bank, dig down deep, shell out, and feed the kitty. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/32 "2006-10-17T20:14:54Z")
When you don’t pay what you owe is it curtains? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/33 "2006-10-17T20:32:23Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] Also, can you tell me where I can get dinner for $5? [/QUOTE] Last night I had dinner from Taco Bell for 2 bones, 15 cents. Including tax. (Burrito Supreme. Yum!) ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/34 "2006-10-17T20:41:45Z")
[QUOTE=jsc1953] Which segues nicely into a related topic – notice how every US coin has a nickname? The 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent, 25 cent and 50 cent coins are never called that: they’re penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half, respectively. [/QUOTE] Without peeking…what denomination is stamped on each US coin? (hint: it’s not consistent) ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/35 "2006-10-17T21:03:15Z")
I’ve got a couple more for British money: £5 is a Lady (Lady Godiva=fiver) £15 is a Commodore (“once, twice, three times a lady”) £6= poorly octopus (sick squid, geddit?) Expansion on the Ayrton Senna=£10(tenner)… £10 is also known as “a dead Brazilian”, for obvious reasons. [This site](http://www.aldertons.com/money.htm) has lots more. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/36 "2006-10-17T22:07:49Z")
[QUOTE=irishgirl] Expansion on the Ayrton Senna=£10(tenner)… £10 is also known as “a dead Brazilian”, for obvious reasons.. [/QUOTE] Obvious to you, maybe… I feel stupid. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/37 "2006-10-17T23:08:58Z")
[Ayrton Senna](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayrton_Senna) was a Brazilian F1 driver who died in a crash during a race. It’s in horrible taste, but I can’t deny I’ve heard it. ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/38 "2006-10-18T09:30:48Z")
[QUOTE=TheLoadedDog] In Australia, when we decimalised in 1966 we lost a wealth of rich slang names for different denominations of coins (not notes so much, because coins were worth more then than now) You _occasionally_ hear “Redback” for a $20 note, but a lot of people wouldn’t know it. So yeah, everybody just uses boring ol’ numbers now. [/QUOTE] In Queensland a 20 is a Brick or a Red Brick. This is a hangover from Imperial currency. Back in the day, my favourite pub was the Red Brick Hotel in Wooloongabba - so named not for it’s mode of construction, but for the fact that due to it’s being down the way from the notorious Boggo road jail, it was a frequent first stop for newly released prisoners - who, when released were given a new suit and a 20 pound note. Hence, the Red Brick pub was where you spent your red brick. mm ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/39 "2006-10-18T10:06:20Z")
**Ask Nott** , were you ever in a production of _Guys and Dolls_? ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675/40 "2006-10-18T14:34:46Z")
What about “ten spot” for ten dollar bill? In my experience, that’s a lot more common that “sawbuck.” By the way, something missing from this thread so far is that some notes once had roman numerals on them, and that’s the source of the terms “C-note” and “sawbuck.” Sawbuck is another name for sawhorse, and that’s what the “X” looked like on the ten spot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-terms-for-us-bills/376675.md?page=3)