Greenbacks and Cheddar Cheese: English Slang for Money

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Things that are important to people tend to be common conversation topics. And if people often talk about something, they naturally create various names for it to keep conversations fun and interesting.

Money is definitely one example of this. So let's take a look at some of the slang for money that is used every day in English conversations.

Before we begin, remember that many of the terms introduced below are quite informal and may not be appropriate in professional situations. If you are unsure about when it is OK to use them, book a lesson with an Engoo tutor and ask for clarification.

Cash

There are many ways to spend money, including checks, bank transfers and many kinds of digital payments. The simplest way to pay, however, is with cash: coins and bills.

Will you be paying by cash or credit card?

Buck(s)

This is a very common alternative for dollars that is often used in everyday conversations. This may be a reference to the skin of deer (also called "bucks"), which used to be used for currency.

Can I borrow five bucks from you?

Green / Greenbacks

Paper money in the US is colored green, which is the origin of these two slang terms.

I need to earn some green fast.

Sorry, I don't accept credit cards — only greenbacks!

Lettuce / Cabbage

These two green, leafy vegetables are also references to the color of dollar bills.

She earned a lot of lettuce after negotiating a contract with her new client.

Don spent a lot of cabbage on a brand new sports car.

Moolah

The origin of this casual term for money is unknown. Even so, it is still used very commonly.

I negotiated a raise, so I'll be earning a bit more moolah than I did before.

Cheddar / Cheese

The previous two words aren't the only food-based nicknames for money. There are actually many more!

It is believed that cheese refers to money because the government provides real cheese to citizens with low incomes and to people who have been affected by natural disasters.

Over time, money received from government programs also came to be known as "cheese." These days, however, the term's connection to the government has weakened; now it's simply a slang term for money.

How much cheddar did you spend on that date last night?

I don't think you've got enough cheese to eat at that fancy restaurant.

Capital

This term for money is mostly used in the business world.

My business partners and I are raising more capital to keep our start-up running smoothly.

Dead presidents

This term comes from the presidents pictured on American money, specifically George Washington ($1 bill), Abraham Lincoln ($5 bill), Andrew Jackson ($20 bill) and Ulysses S. Grant ($50 bill).

Jane doesn't use a bank. Instead, she keeps all of her dead presidents in a safe in her home.

Alexander Hamilton ($10 bill) and Benjamin Franklin ($100 bill) were not presidents, but they still appear on money because of the important roles they played in the early years of the country. In fact, "Benjamins" is a slang term for $100 bills.

He opened his wallet and took out a stack of Benjamins.

Bread / Dough

In traditional and rural societies, people grow their own food or get it from the animals they raise. In industrial societies, however, we need money to buy it. Perhaps that is why money and food are so closely related in the language.

I got a second job to earn some more bread.

Dough is the mixture of flour and water used to make bread, but as slang terms, the two words are used in the same way.

How much dough do you have on you right now?

Bank

This slang term is quite simple to understand since banks are where most people keep their money. It's often pronounced with extra emphasis.

My friend Jenna is making bank at her new job.

Note that "bank" is used in this way only when speaking about a large amount of money. Therefore, it would sound strange to use it in reference to a low salary, for example.

Ducat (or Ducket)

This word (pronounced like "DUH-ket") actually comes from the gold coins that were used for currency in some European countries.

If you're not careful, you'll lose a lot of ducats at the casinos in Las Vegas.

Grand

This term specifically refers to one thousand dollars.

We spent about three grand on our last vacation, but it was worth it.

More casually, people sometimes shorten "grand" to simply "G."

My friend won 25 Gs in the lottery. He's so lucky!

Note that these words only refer to one thousand dollars; they are not used to count people, objects or anything else.

Cake

Here's one more food-related term. Notice that dough is necessary to make cakes just like it is needed to make bread.

His Instagram posts are all pictures of him showing off how much cake he has.

Quid

This term is not used in America; instead, it is common in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. It's another word for "pound" and is used like Americans use "buck(s)."

This T-shirt only cost me five quid.

Wrap-up

Money is essential in our modern lives, so it's good to be prepared to speak about it with both standard and non-standard words. Again, be sure that the terms from this article are appropriate for your situation and the people you are speaking with.

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