Topic · 12 guides
Most British money slang is Victorian, and a fair bit of it comes from the racecourse. Here is what each term is worth, where it came from, and which ones people still get wrong out loud.
Liquid net worth is what you could actually get your hands on: cash, ISAs and investments, minus short-term debts. No house, no pension. Why it is usually a fraction of the headline figure, and which number to use when.
A grand is £1,000. Every amount converted, from half a grand to a hundred grand, plus why it never takes an 's' and what a G and a large are worth.
A 'bag' means £1,000 in British slang, short for 'bag of sand' in rhyming slang. Here is where it comes from, how it is used, and simple examples.
A 'carpet' means £300 in British slang, with roots in £3 and prison slang. Here is where the word comes from, how it is used, and clear examples.
A 'nicker' means £1 in British slang. Here is where the word comes from, how people use it in everyday speech, and clear examples to help you follow.
A 'oner' usually means £100 in British slang, and sometimes £1. Here is what it means, where the word comes from, and how people use it with examples.
Quid, pony, monkey, ton, score and grand: what each is worth, how rhyming slang actually works, and why most of these terms aren't rhyming slang at all.
A 'monkey' means £500 in British slang. Here's the origin of the term, how it's used, and what other money slang like a pony, ton and grand are worth.
A 'score' means £20 in British slang. Here's where the term comes from, how it's used, and a quick guide to other money slang like a pony, monkey and ton.
In UK slang a 'ton' means £100, a score is £20, a pony £25 and a monkey £500. Here's where the phrase 'a ton of money' comes from and how it's used around the world.
A pony is one of the money slang terms people still get wrong out loud. Here is what it is worth, where it came from, and how the rest of the set works.
Why do we call a pound a 'quid'? The word is centuries old and its origins are debated. Here's the most likely history behind Britain's favourite money slang.