British Slang For Money (26 Examples!)

Money is one of the things most of us probably think about every single day.

This is just as true in Britain as it is anywhere else, and the country’s long and storied history also means that money has changed forms a number of times.

During that, though, both new slang terms to describe it have arisen while at the same time the old fashioned terms have endured to a large extent.

This has resulted in a hugely varied lexicon of slang terms for money in Britain—so let’s look at a few of them.

Quid

Firstly we have what is doubtless the most universal and ubiquitous slang term for money in British slang, “quid”.

This can mean any amount of money in any context, whether it’s coins or notes in your hand or numbers in your bank.

From the north of Scotland to the south shores of England, everyone uses this term to some extent, or they will definitely know what it means even if they don’t.

“I’ve only got about five quid left,” for example.

The origin of this term is not entirely clear, but it’s generally agreed that it’s probably from the Latin equivalent word quid.

This Latin term means “what” or “something,” as in the expression quid pro quo, “something for something”.

Our earliest references date from the late 17^th Century, so it could be much older than this in the vernacular.

Dosh

Another common if slightly more old-fashioned slang term for money in Britain is “dosh”.

Typically, this has a more specific meaning, relating to cash in hand rather than any kind of money like money in your bank.

It’s used more among the older generations today and has not been much picked up by the younger people, but it’s far from being forgotten as a slang term.

“I’ll need to run home and get some dosh,” for example.

The term is more recent, dating from around the 1950s.

It’s thought that the term relates to the sense of “paying through the nose,” which means paying a lot for something.

This is due to the word dosh which is a Russian-Jewish word referring to the nose as in paying in cash.

Bob

Another slightly old fashioned term but one which is certainly still used today is “bob”.

Originally, the term bob referred to one shilling, before currency was decimalized in 1971.

Today, “bob” is essentially equivalent to “quid,” and you can put any number before it to refer to any amount of money.

Usually, though, you’ll use it for amounts up to ten pounds.

“I’ll pay the ten bob for all the extras,” for example.

The slang term for shilling dates back to at least the 18^th Century, so it is a very old one.

The precise origin, though, is not clear, and is the subject of debate.

Some think it derives from the older term “bawbee”, which referred to a half-penny.

We may never know for sure, though.

Bread

Another common slang term for money in Britain is “bread”.

Again, this one is somewhat older and is more regionally specific now, but there was certainly a time when this was widely used across the country.

It’s still definitely widely understood in this slang sense even by those who don’t use it.

Further, the phrase “bread and honey” is Cockney rhyming slang for money. “I’m all out of bread, man, I can’t come tonight,” for example.

The term in this simpler sense dates to around the 1940s, but the much older “breadwinner” dates back to at least the early 18^th Century.

There is a clear correlation there, and this is likely where the term originated.

It was in part a piece of beatnik and hippy slang originally, and this endured in widespread use until the 1980s.

Dough

Surprisingly, the term “dough” meaning money is much older than “bread” as a slang term for money.

This one is still used to an extent in Britain today, and again it’s one of those which will definitely be understood even by those who don’t use it. It is, unsurprisingly, more common among the older generations than the youth.

“He’s got so much dough in the bank but he’ll never tell anyone,” for example.

It derives most likely again from the sense that the person who provides for a household is the “breadwinner”.

The earliest written example we have of the use of this slang term is from 1851, so it may be some time older than this.

Cabbage

Another somewhat common slang term for money in Britain is “cabbage”.

This is certainly not as common as other slang terms and you may well run into many British people who have never heard the term used in this way, at least in certain parts of the country.

“He’s got a nice chunk of cabbage sitting in that bank,” for example.

Originally thought to have arisen in America due to the green color of money, it’s now thought to have originated with the Italian Mafia in places like New York.

Clam

Another slang term which is used both in the U.S. and in Britain, next we have “clam” or “clams”.

This is just another catch-all term for any kind of money, though it does most often refer specifically to cash rather than to money in the bank.

It’s used to an extent in Britain although it’s definitely not as popular as other terms.

“I can sell you this car for a thousand clams,” for instance.

The term derives from the Native American practice, of some tribes, to use shells like clams as currency.

This wasn’t a universal practice but was widely used even well into the 19^th Century, which is where the slang term derived from.

Milk

“Milk” is another slang term for money used in many parts of Britain.

This one is more regionally specific and one you’re more likely to hear in certain parts of England and Scotland than anywhere else.

Again, it simply is a stand in for money, and is often used in the sense of someone who has a lot of money.

“He’s the one with all the milk, you’ll have to ask him,” for example.

It’s thought that this term comes from a similar sense as the term “cash cow”.

Milk has obviously always been something in demand and valuable, and a good milking cow can earn you lots of money.

It seems to come from the 19^th Century.

Frogskins

Frogskins is another lesser-used slang term for money in Britain.

You’ll hear this one from time to time, though it’s definitely largely falling out of use nowadays.

It’s one which seems to have been borrowed from America, where it’s certainly a lot more common, although it has definitely taken on its own unique British character to an extent.

It typically refers exclusively to paper notes. “I’ve got a few frogskins left,” for example.

It comes again simply from the fact that American dollars are green and have been for some time.

Through its use in movies and television, this eventually spread to the British slang lexicon, too.

Moolah

Moolah is another slang term for money which many people in Britain use in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek way.

It’s definitely an older slang term you won’t hear very much anymore, but still used by some and widely understood by most in Britain today.

“Since getting my new job I don’t know what to do with all this moolah,” for example.

This term originates in American English in the 1920s, though the origin is not clear.

It may relate to the Islamic title mullah, but this is far from certain.

Paper

Next we have paper, another one very commonly used among wide ranges of the population of Britain.

As you might have guessed, this one relates specifically to paper money and paper notes.

At the same time, though, it can just be a catch all term for money.

“They’re really making paper with their new business,” for example.

This slang term is first attested in 1722, and paper notes in Britain were first used around the end of the 17^th Century.

This one wasted no time in getting itself into the lexicon, then!

Scratch

Scratch is another somewhat common slang expression in British English referring to money.

This is another one which generally refers to paper money and notes, rather than coins or money in the bank.

To a lesser extent you will hear this one across England and sometimes in Scotland.

It’s not regionally specific, but then again is not massively used where it is.

“It’s going to cost a fair bit of scratch to fix the damage to your car,” for example.

This slang term was originally American but spread to England very quickly.

It’s not really clear where it originally came from, though many figurative uses of the word “scratch” like “up to scratch” come from sporting terminology.

So, there may be a relation there, we just don’t know.

Rhino

This is an example of what’s called “thieves cant”.

This is a specific argot used by thieves to communicate with one another surreptitiously, to talk perhaps about people to steal from, things to steal, or places to rob.

This dates back at least as far as the 16^th Century, and within that cant the word “rhino” means and has meant “money” for a long time.

“There’s a lot of rhino coming in tonight—could be a good chance,” for example.

Given that the whole point of such an argot is that it could conceal the user’s true purpose, it’s virtually impossible to know why or when this term first came into being.

Some think it could be related to valuable rhino horns, others think it’s another reference to paying “through the nose”.

Fiver

Without doubt another of the most common and universal slang terms for a specific denomination of money in Britain is “fiver”.

As you might be able to figure out, the term means a five pound note.

Everyone uses and understands this term, and while it means a five pound note, you could also say that something cost “a fiver” however you paid for it.

“I’ve only got a fiver left for the bus,” for example.

This term long predates decimalization, though. It is first attested in writing in 1843, where it still simply meant a five pound note.

There’s not much more to it than that!

Tenner

In the same vein, a ten pound note is called a “tenner”.

Again, you will most commonly hear this used about a physical ten pound note.

At the same time, it might be used to describe anything of ten pound value.

Unsurprisingly, it arose around the same time as fiver in the 19^th Century.

Nicker

A common slang term in parts of Britain for a single pound sterling is a “nicker”.

In some cases, the term might be used for a larger sum of money, but generally it is used only for a single pound.

It’s more common to be heard in the north of England than anywhere else, but most will understand what is meant by this term.

“Here, have a nicker for a go on the arcade machine,” for example.

The term was originally related to the noise that a horse made, so it’s thought it originated from horseracing terminology.

The first use of it to mean a pound comes from 1871, but we don’t know for sure where it first came from in the vernacular.

Shrapnel

A common and universal slang term for loose change in your pocket in British English is “shrapnel”.

This is used virtually everywhere and typically refers to the kinds of coins that you struggle to get rid of, like one pence or two pence pieces, shaking around at the bottom of your pocket like shrapnel.

“He’s spent all his notes now, just got a pocketful of shrapnel,” for example.

This term seems to have come into use around the 1990s, and is obviously a reference to shrapnel which is the shell casing that would burst in mid-air.

Pony

In many parts of London, you may hear people talking about a “pony” in terms of money.

What this refers to is a specific amount: £25.

There are many similar terms like this used in London, though they were at one time used more widely than this.

Today, it’s the kind of thing you might hear in a bookmaker’s shop or something similar. “I’ll bet you a pony your team loses 2-0,” for example.

The term originated from British soldiers returning from the British Raj in India.

In India, a 25 rupee note featured a picture of a pony.

Thus, when soldiers returned they adopted the term themselves for British money.

Bullseye

As £25 is known as a pony, so is £50 known as a “bullseye”.

Again, this is one you’ll not hear much outside of London although if only due to TV and radio, many elsewhere are aware of this term.

Again, at one time, the term was more widely used, but you’ll mostly hear it in sales negotiations or bet making today.

“I’ll do you a bullseye for the bike,” for example.

This term simply comes from the fact that the centre point on a dartboard, the “bullseye”, is worth 50 points in the game.

It isn’t much older than a century or so.

Monkey

As £25 is a pony and £50 is a bullseye, £500 is a “monkey”.

Once again, this is London slang that you won’t much hear elsewhere.

“Cost me a bloody monkey to get that boiler fixed,” for example.

This one also originated from the images featured on Indian rupees.

One 500 rupee note featured a drawing of a monkey.

Lady

Another specific name for a particular amount of money in London is a “lady”.

This refers to £5, and you can see how specific to London it is in where it comes from.

It is rhyming slang, as “fiver” rhymes with “Lady Godiva”, which is where you get the “lady”.

Lady Godiva was a historical figure from Anglo-Saxon England.

Commodore

Sometimes, though less commonly than the others in this vein, £15 is referred to as a “commodore”.

Again, this is not used outside of London, and the interrelationships between these different terms start to get a bit confusing.

“A commodore for two drinks? So expensive!” for example.

This one is based on the Commodores song “Three Times a Lady”: one commodore is equal to three “ladies”, as in five pounds.

Folding stuff

Returning to more general and widely used slang terms, next we have “folding stuff”.

This one should be fairly intuitive to understand: it refers to paper money, the money which “folds” as opposed to metal coins which obviously do not.

It’s used mostly by the older generations today, though you’ll hear it to an extent just about anywhere in Britain.

“New car is making a dent in my folding stuff,” for example.

It’s not clear where this originated, though it likely dates back at least as far as the 19^th Century.

Our earliest written attestation comes from 1944.

More than this, though, we can’t say for sure.

Readies

Another common slang term across Britain for cash in hand is “readies”.

Again, this one is not as widely used as it once was, but nonetheless, you will still hear it from time to time.

In certain industries and professions, it is still used very commonly and even daily.

For example, again, bookmakers might use it, or salespeople to push a deal.

“What have you got in readies, today? I’ll do you a deal,” for example.

This term also originated in London, as best we can tell. It’s not much attested in the written record, but we can guess it dates back at least as far as the 19^th Century.

Indeed, this one even spawned its own slang, with the Cockney rhyming slang “Nelson Eddies” meaning “readies”.

Shillings

Though they were, of course, once just an actual standard form of currency, shillings are not in circulation anymore.

From that, though, has arisen the common slang meaning of “shilling” in modern English just meaning money or pounds.

This is sometimes used by younger people as well as old in a kind of tongue-in-cheek anachronism.

“I’ll pay you ten shillings to pain my fence,” for example.

The term shilling dates all the way back to the Anglo Saxon period.

There, the Old English word scilling referred to a twentieth of a pound, which in turn derived from the Proto-Germanic word for “to divide”.

Shekels

Finally, we have the term “shekels”, again a joking, tongue-in-cheek name for any kind of money although usually small coins.

This one is widely understood throughout Britain to mean money, though it is not all that widely used.

Again, it’s a joke term that few people use in earnest.

Shekels were originally a Mesopotamian coin, typically made of silver, which was a unit of weight before that.

It’s thought of simply as a kind of extremely old currency, thus a joke name for money.

If there’s one slang term for money you need to remember for British slang, then, it’s “quid.”

This is the catch-all term that just about everyone uses in most contexts.

Even if they favor some of the stranger, older and more colorful terms, they will still know what you mean by quid.

Nonetheless, many of these others are still routinely used by large parts of the British population, so keep an ear out.

More in British Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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