# Smacker derivation? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 21, 2025, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smacker-derivation/1015926 "2025-03-21T19:03:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smacker-derivation/1015926/1 "2025-03-21T19:03:03Z")
How did smacker or smackeroo come to mean a dollar? 10 simoleans to anyone who can figure it out. That’s a nice chunk of cheddar. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smacker-derivation/1015926/2 "2025-03-21T20:20:56Z")
It’s from smacking your money down on the bar for a drink or when betting at a gambling table. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smacker-derivation/1015926/3 "2025-03-21T20:31:38Z")
Awww. 💋 to you too! ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smacker-derivation/1015926/4 "2025-03-22T02:22:22Z")
I’ve heard smack, but not smacker. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smacker-derivation/1015926/5 "2025-03-22T03:03:00Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > It’s from smacking your money down on the bar for a drink or when betting at a gambling table. And a much more satisfying sound when you were smacking a silver dollar instead of a piece of paper. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smacker-derivation/1015926/6 "2025-03-22T14:47:41Z")
[Etymology Online](https://www.etymonline.com/word/smacker#24309) gives a slightly different story, qualified with “perhaps”: > “money,” c. 1918, American English slang, perhaps from smack (v.2) on notion of something “smacked” into the palm of the hand ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smacker-derivation/1015926/7 "2025-03-22T14:58:41Z")
I _think_ I’ve heard it used of £££. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smacker-derivation/1015926/8 "2025-03-22T15:49:35Z")
Yes, the word seems to have travelled across the pond. The OED says > slang (originally U.S.). A coin or note of money; spec. a dollar; a pound. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smacker-derivation/1015926/9 "2025-03-22T17:39:05Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > “money,” c. 1918, American English slang, perhaps from smack (v.2) on notion of something “smacked” into the palm of the hand I like this one. For some reason I didn’t notice it when searching. It reminds me of an old Rosie O’Donnell comedy bit where she exclaims, “Jennifer - smack my palm!” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2025, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smacker-derivation/1015926/10 "2025-03-25T11:19:22Z")
Other way around for me, but most usually “smackeroos.” “500 smakckers” sounds fine. “509 smacks” apparently is not part of my dialect. (Though all are old-timey sounding.)