Get More 'Bang for Your Buck' With This Slang
English has lots of slang for money. Here are some of the most common expressions and where they come from.
"Buck" is common American slang for "dollar." And when you get "bang for your buck," you've bought something for a good price.
- "This shirt was only 20 bucks."
- "I think you get more bang for your buck shopping online."
Experts don't know where the expression "buck" came from, but some believe it has to do with the card game poker. In poker, it is common to place a "button" in front of the dealer. In the past, this was often made from the horn of a buck, such as a deer.
In the UK, most people refer to pounds as "quid."
- "That'll be ten quid, thanks."
According to Oxford Dictionary, this expression may come from the latin "quid pro quo", which means to exchange "one thing for another." "Quid" has only been around since 1661, whereas "quid pro quo" has been used in English since the 1560s. That's why some believe the expression is simply an abbreviation.
You might hear people refer to money as "dough" in many English-speaking countries.
- "He made a lot of dough when he worked in the United States, and I'm not talking about pizzas."
Experts are not sure where this expression comes from, but according to the Online Etymology Dictionary, "dough" has been used to refer to money since the mid-1800s. Some people think that it is related to "bread", which is another slang word for money!
