- A collection of common informal and slang terms for money.
- Dough, Bread: Basic necessity, essential for life. Early 20th C. Bread also revived via hip-hop.
- Moolah: Origin uncertain (possibly Hindi/Spanish/fanciful). Mid-20th C. Playful.
- Bucks: US/Can/Aus dollars. From 'buckskin' trade currency. Very common.
- Grand: $1000 or £1000. From 'grand total' or possibly Yiddish 'gros'. Early 20th C. Very common.
- Cheddar: Modern slang (late 20th/21st C). Possibly from 'government cheese' or hip-hop culture. Playful, associated with getting money.
- Greenbacks: US paper currency. From green ink on Civil War-era notes. Slightly dated but understood.
- Benjamins: US $100 bills (feature Benjamin Franklin). Hip-hop/urban culture popularization. Implies large bills/amounts.
Explanation
Origin
- See individual explanations above. Diverse origins: historical (bucks, greenbacks), metaphorical (dough, bread), uncertain/playful (moolah, cheddar), specific value (grand, Benjamins).
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
- (These are already slang terms, providing more formal alternatives below)
- Milder/Standard: Money, Cash, Currency, Funds, Finances, Earnings, Income, Capital, Payment.
- Formal: Remuneration, Assets, Legal tender, Monetary resources.
- # RELATIONSHIPS & SOCIAL DYNAMICS
Situational Appropriateness
- All are informal slang.
- Bucks and Grand are extremely common and might slip into semi-formal speech, but written numbers ($/£) are preferred formally.
- Greenbacks is understandable but feels a bit dated or specific (evokes physical US bills).
- Dough, Moolah are classic, slightly quaint slang.
- Bread, Cheddar, Benjamins are more modern slang, strongly associated with youth/urban/hip-hop culture. Avoid these in professional or formal settings unless aiming for a specific informal tone.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- The sheer number of terms can be overwhelming.
- Bucks (dollars) and Grand (1000) are essential.
- Benjamins = $100 bills is specific.
- Context (talking about cost, earnings, wealth) usually makes the meaning clear.
Examples
- This job pays good dough.
- That vacation must have cost a lot of moolah.
- It's only twenty bucks.
- Her salary is over two hundred grand a year.
- He's always chasing the cheddar.
- He prefers dealing in cash, pulled out a wad of greenbacks.
- The rapper was flashing a stack of Benjamins.
- Gotta wake up early and make that bread.
Dialogue
A: How much do I owe you for dinner?
B: Just ten bucks should cover it.
A: Cool, thanks. Need to hit the ATM later, low on dough.
C: That deal could be worth millions!
D: Yeah, if it goes through, we'll be making serious cheddar. Maybe even enough to count in Benjamins!
Social Media Examples
- Tweet: Need to earn some extra bucks this weekend. Any gig ideas?
- Instagram caption: Hustling hard for that cheddar 💰 #Motivation #MoneyMoves
- TikTok sound using lyrics about Benjamins.
- Forum post: Is 150 grand a good salary in London?
- Facebook status: Finally saved enough dough for a down payment!
Response Patterns
- Generally understood without comment in informal settings. Responses depend entirely on the conversation context (e.g., surprise at cost, agreement on need for money, etc.).
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
- Entirely dependent on the conversation about money (e.g., asking specifics about cost, salary, ways to earn).
Conversation Starter
- No. These words are used *within* conversations, not to start them.
Intonation
- Used casually. Intonation follows the sentence structure.
- Terms like Benjamins or grand might be emphasized when highlighting large amounts.
Generation Differences
- Bucks, Grand: Universal understanding and usage.
- Dough, Moolah, Greenbacks, Bread (traditional sense): Understood by most, perhaps used more by older generations (40+), though bread has modern youth currency via hip-hop.
- Cheddar, Benjamins, Bread (hip-hop sense): More common among younger generations (under 40) and those influenced by hip-hop/urban culture.
Regional Variations
- Bucks: Primarily North American (USD, CAD), also Aus/NZ dollars. Universally understood for US dollars.
- Grand: International for 1000 currency units.
- Greenbacks, Benjamins: Specifically US dollars.
- Cheddar, Bread, Moolah, Dough: Primarily US informal English, but known elsewhere via media.
- UK has distinct slang: Quid (£1), Fiver (£5), Tenner (£10), Monkey (£500), Pony (£25), Wonga, Dosh, Readies.