It’s a language we all love, the one of money. Yet Aussies take it to a whole new level, by creating Australian slang terms for their cash.

There are many universal nicknames for cash as a whole, some you’ll recognise:

• Currency
• Cabbage
• Dosh
• Coin
• Bucks
• Chips
• Dough
• Cheddar
• Bacon
• Scratch
• Chicken-feed
• Quid
• Chump change
• Beer tokens
• Smackeroo
• Moolah
• Quid

via GIPHY

How come we have Australian slang terms for cash?

As part of our Aussie culture, we regularly create nicknames for people, and it’s not uncommon to shorten many words for objects and places. Cash is no exception.

Although it might seem like someone sat there knitting an alphabet blanket to create these slang terms for money, the easiest way to describe this culture of nicknaming Aussie cash is by their colour, symbols, or the people on the bills themselves.

Within the cash denominations, you’ll soon see this pattern emerging, starting with the five-dollar bill…

The Australian slang terms for the five-dollar bill

• Fiver
• Fairy floss
• Galah
• Skydiver
• Pink Lady
• Pink snapper
• Prawn
• Piglet
• Rasher

The Australian slang terms for the ten-dollar bill

• Tenner
• Pav (short for Pavarotti the Tenor)
• Blue swimmer
• Blue tongue
• Budgie
• Blueberry

The Australian slang terms for the twenty-dollar bill

• Lobster
• Redback
• A brick

via GIPHY

The Australian slang terms for the Fifty-dollar bill

• Pineapple
• Banana
• Noosa Dollar
• Golden ticket
• Mustard

The Australian slang terms for the Hundred-dollar bill

• Jolly green giant
• Green tree frog
• Hungee or Hundey
• Lettuce leaf
• Cabbage
• Grey nurse (shark)
• Fat Lady
• Grey ghost
• The Bradman
• Or as my grandfather used to call it, The Hen’s Tooth

As for coins:

Depending on your state and region, the nicknames differ. Surprisingly quite a lot of coins are nicknamed after politicians such as the Lazy Turnbull and the Fat Turnbull for Malcolm Turnbull, our 29th Prime Minister. And we also have the Sticky Howie for John Howard, the 25th Prime Minister. Patriotic lot, aren’t we?

But you may know of these:

• Shrapnel
• Bottle tops
• Flipper
• Sticky dollar

via GIPHY

How many do you recognise?

But, here’s the steak rub, as we progress further into a cashless society, how long do you think these Australian nicknames for cash will be remembered?

It’s why I enjoy introducing my readers (from across the globe) to these unique Australian terms within my stories. And, it’s why I created this article because I’ve used quite a few of the above nicknames for cash in a big scene within this iconic Aussie outback adventure, THE SISTER TRIP.

So go on, brush up your local lingo by grabbing your copy here>>

**All still images relating to this post’s topic are via CANVA.com 

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