5. We opted not to join the Europe-wide currency and have stubbornly kept our pounds and pence. Offie - off license (liquor store to Americans). Some non-slang words are included where their origins are particularly interesting, as are some interesting slang money expressions which originated in other parts of the world, and which are now entering the English language. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? motsa/motsah/motzer = money. If you want to read more about cockney rhyming slang and money, read this BBC article. Referring to 500, this term is derived from the Indian 500 Rupee note of that era, which featured a monkey on one side. This coincides with the view that Hume re-introduced the groat to counter the cab drivers' scam. By some it has been suggested that in the 18th century 25 was the typical price paid for a small horse, although historians have contested this is not accurate and far too much money. wedge = nowadays 'a wedge' a pay-packet amount of money, although the expression is apparently from a very long time ago when coins were actually cut into wedge-shaped pieces to create smaller money units. I've spent all morning chundering it back out.". People commonly use this emoji to express embarrassment in an amusing way or to emphasize that they made a funny mistake. Smackers (1920s) and smackeroos (1940s) are probably US extensions of the earlier English slang smack/smacks (1800s) meaning a pound note/notes, which Cassells slang dictionary suggests might be derived from the notion of smacking notes down onto a table. Avo - Avocado. 'To monkey around' means to behave in a silly or careless way. In addition, Britain-specific words are included. The most widely recognised Cockney rhyming slang terms for money include 'pony' which is 25, a 'ton' is 100 and a 'monkey', which equals 500. When the British Empire occupied India in the 19th century, some Indian slang words made it over to the UK, with "monkey" being one of them. 5. Earlier 'long-tailed finnip' meant more specifically ten pounds, since a finnip was five pounds (see fin/finny/finnip) from Yiddish funf meaning five. A final claim is that pony might derive from the Latin words legem pone, which means, payment of money, cash down which begins on the March 25, a quarter day in the old financial calendar, when payments and debts came due. Shambolic - disorganized, all over the place. putting chips into the centre of the table being necessary to continue playing. bung = money in the form of a bribe, from the early English meaning of pocket and purse, and pick-pocket, according to Cassells derived from Frisian (North Netherlands) pung, meaning purse. Usage of bob for shilling dates back to the late 1700s. The term ' nicker ' is probably connected to the use of nickel in the minting of coins. Half is also used as a logical prefix for many slang words which mean a pound, to form a slang expresion for ten shillings and more recently fifty pence (50p), for example and most popularly, 'half a nicker', 'half a quid', etc. Cockney rhyming slang from 1960s and perhaps earlier since beehive has meant the number five in rhyming slang since at least the 1920s. I'm informed however (ack Stuart Taylor, Dec 2006) that Joey was indeed slang for the brass-nickel threepenny bit among children of the Worcester area in the period up to decimalisation in 1971, so as ever, slang is subject to regional variation. Also meant to lend a shilling, apparently used by the middle classes, presumably to avoid embarrassment. Ok on to our next slang term for money a pony. To sit around doing little, to be idle. "Gob" is a British expression for "mouth". job = guinea, late 1600s, probably ultimately derived from from the earlier meaning of the word job, a lump or piece (from 14th century English gobbe), which developed into the work-related meaning of job, and thereby came to have general meaning of payment for work, including specific meaning of a guinea. Also used regularly is a score which is 20, a bullseye is 50, a grand is 1,000 and a deep sea diver which is 5 (a fiver). Jag - alternative word for vaccine jab in Scotland. Budge - move, shift. Shade - to show disapproval or contempt (US origin). When the pound coin appeared it was immediately christened a 'Maggie', based seemingly on the notion that it was 'a brassy piece that thinks it's a sovereign" (ack J Jamieson, Sep 2007) If you have more detail about where and when this slang arose and is used, please let me know. You can use it to refer to a person or an object. Sassenach - non-Highlander (usually referring to the English). Top 100 Cockney Rhyming Slang Words and Phrases: Adam and Eve - believe Alan Whickers - knickers apples and pears - stairs Artful Dodger - lodger Ascot Races - braces Aunt Joanna - piano Baked Bean - Queen Baker's Dozen - Cousin Ball and Chalk - Walk Barnaby Rudge - Judge Barnet Fair - hair Barney Rubble - trouble Battlecruiser - boozer Back in the 1960s, it was illegal to be gay in the UK and so gay men began to use a kind of code language or slang that was a mix of Italian, Romany and rhyming slang. Usually retains singular form (G rather than G's) for more than one thousand pounds, for example "Twenty G". It is believed these terms were imported from India by returning servicemen. It works." It works." Examples include . Off the cuff - without preparation, spontaneous. These pages are best viewed using the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, or IE. Stiver also earlier referred to any low value coin. The most widely recognised Cockney rhyming slang terms for money include pony which is 25, a ton is 100 and a monkey, which equals 500. Originates from the Dutch 'bodel', meaning personal effects. Blag - a robbery (noun), to rob or scrounge (verb). Improve your writing by downloading our English Editing Tips. The Brief: The speak no evil monkey ? Dunce - an unintelligent person, so called after the much-ridiculed 13th century Scottish theologian John Duns Scotus. Coppers was very popular slang pre-decimalisation (1971), and is still used in referring to modern pennies and two-penny coins, typically describing the copper (coloured) coins in one's pocket or change, or piggy bank. We have a complete dictionary of London money slang .A Cockney knows all about moneyCos its what make his world go aroundBut he doesn't say money, he says Bees and Honey When talking about pennies and pounds. 'Bob a nob', in the early 1800s meant 'a shilling a head', when estimating costs of meals, etc. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. Jimmy - "Jimmy Riddle" = piddle = urinate. Bloody hell: To express anger, shock or surprise. Not normally pluralised, still expressed as 'squid', not squids, e.g., 'Fifty squid'. All later generic versions of the coins were called 'Thalers'. long tails. dibs/dibbs = money. Meaning: London slang for 500. Used to describe a stupid, nasty or useless person. Ye - archaic spelling for "the" - the definite article or archaic for "your" - possessive pronoun. 23. nicker = a pound (1). Cream-crackered - = knackered, thus extremely tired, exhausted. am gan to the toon - i'm going to Newcastle city centre. BOODLE. Me ma said - My mam said. Origins of dib/dibs/dibbs are uncertain but probably relate to the old (early 1800s) children's game of dibs or dibstones played with the knuckle-bones of sheep or pebbles. Not generally pluralised. In this post we share the official and unofficial ways Brits refer to money. Cock and hen also gave raise to the variations cockeren, cockeren and hen, hen, and the natural rhyming slang short version, cock - all meaning ten pounds. dibs/dibbs = money. Modern London slang. Silver threepenny coins were first introduced in the mid-1500s but were not popular nor minted in any serious quantity for general circulation until around 1760, because people preferred the fourpenny groat. The silver threepence continued in circulation for several years after this, and I read. Thats the end of our money series so remember to tune in for our next episode to see what new slang we have in store for you! Prat - stuck up, incompetent or stupid person. Ice Cream Vans - mobile ice cream vendors (read more). This contributed to the development of some 'lingua franca' expressions, i.e., mixtures of Italian, Greek, Arabic, Yiddish (Jewish European/Hebrew dialect), Spanish and English which developed to enable understanding between people of different nationalities, rather like a pidgin or hybrid English. You can find out more about that in this, Pavarotti he was a famous tenor so a Pavarotti is a tenner (10), If you want to read more about cockney rhyming slang and money, read this. Bless your heart. Brummie - native of Birmingham (colloquial). NEET - Not in Education, Employment, or Training. Britain-Visitor.com provides travel information on Britain's cities and the essential when and where and how to get there. You cheeky monkey." Chin-wag: A chat or brief conversation. Popular Australian slang for money, now being adopted elsewhere. Wobbler - angry, irritated as in "throw a wobbler". Doolally - temporarily deranged or feeble-minded. Spelt the same P-O-N-Y pony actually means 25 pounds. bees (bees and honey) = money. 4. the head of a pile-driver ( monkey engine) or of some similar mechanical device. Kettle-biler - unemployed man in Dundee (from the 19th century jute factories). Shortened to 'G' (usually plural form also) or less commonly 'G's'. Also referred to money generally, from the late 1600s, when the slang was based simply on a metaphor of coal being an essential commodity for life. For daily English language lessons and tips, like our Learn English Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Meaning. Brewer says that the 'modern groat was introduced in 1835, and withdrawn in 1887'. Naff - in bad taste, originally gay slang for heterosexual. Backslang reverses the phonetic (sound of the) word, not the spelling, which can produce some strange interpretations, and was popular among market traders, butchers and greengrocers. How many medals has Great Britain won at the Winter Olympics? 'Cheeky monkey' is an expression we use when someone is being mischievous and playful. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. While this London centric slang is entirely British, it actually stems from 19th century India. Ape and monkey are considered offensive terms when they're used to describe a person of color. Cheeky monkey is an expression we use when someone is being mischievous and playful. I am just trying to help!". MORE : Heres how to spot the absolute worst people on Instagram, according to science, Get your need-to-know Take a look at these English expressions involving monkeys. Bugger off . Initially suggested (Mar 2007) by a reader who tells me that the slang term 'biscuit', meaning 100, has been in use for several years, notably in the casino trade (thanks E). The expression is interpreted into Australian and New Zealand money slang as deener, again meaning shilling. This is what I call brass monkey weather. Piece - piece of bread, sandwich (Glaswegian). This expression has negative connotations, so filthy lucre would refer to money that has been illegally acquired. bar = a pound, from the late 1800s, and earlier a sovereign, probably from Romany gypsy 'bauro' meaning heavy or big, and also influenced by allusion to the iron bars use as trading currency used with Africans, plus a possible reference to the custom of casting of precious metal in bars. When you monkey around, or monkey with something, you fool about or fiddle with it. rat arsed. Old Indian rupee banknotes had animals on them and it is said that the 500 rupee note had a monkey on it and the 25 rupee featured a pony. I'll be a monkey's uncle. Read more. "Coppers.". The word flag has been used since the 1500s as a slang expression for various types of money, and more recently for certain notes. Yennep backslang seems first to have appeared along with the general use of backslang in certain communities in the 1800s. Old Firm - collective name for the Scottish football clubs Celtic and Rangers. A 'double-finnif' (or double-fin, etc) means ten pounds; 'half-a-fin' (half-a-finnip, etc) would have been two pounds ten shillings (equal to 2.50). Less common variations on the same theme: wamba, wanga, or womba. Kettle and Hob is Cockney slang for Watch. Bender. Brewer's 1870 Dictionary of Phrase and Fable states that 'bob' could be derived from 'Bawbee', which was 16-19th century slang for a half-penny, in turn derived from: French 'bas billon', meaning debased copper money (coins were commonly cut to make change). They are meant for comprehension rather than reproduction. Backslang also contributes several slang money words. A working knowledge of a few important slang words, phrases used in local dialects and colloquialisms will help your understanding of what's really going on in any conversation in the British Isles. In every country there are slang terms for money. Meaning: UK/US term for ill-gotten gains. Veg-out - take it easy, relax, do nothing for a while. "No more monkeying around! Heres how to spot the absolute worst people on Instagram, according to science, Do not sell or share my personal information. Logically 'half a ton' is slang for 50. Bum crack - the exposed top part of the buttocks. How do you say monkey in British? Boracic/brassic - no money, broke, skint from boracic lint = skint. We use the symbol G when we want to write thousands in shorthand. (Thanks M Ty-Wharton). seymour = salary of 100,000 a year - media industry slang - named after Geoff Seymour (1947-2009) the advertising copywriter said to have been the first in his profession to command such a wage. In earlier times a dollar was slang for an English Crown, five shillings (5/-). Pommy - a British person (derogatory, especially used by Australians). More rarely from the early-mid 1900s fiver could also mean five thousand pounds, but arguably it remains today the most widely used slang term for five pounds. Covidiot - someone who ignores health advice about COVID-19 similar to Morona. As kids growing up we always asked for a glass of spruce. Less well used slang terms include Lady Godiva for fiver and Ayrton Senna for tenner. An obscure point of nostalgic trivia about the tanner is apparently (thanks J Veitch) a rhyme, from around the mid-1900s, sung to the tune of Rule Britannia: "Rule Brittania, two tanners make a bob, three make eighteen pence and four two bob" My limited research suggests this rhyme was not from London. "Gobsmacked" means to be utterly shocked or surprised beyond belief. (Thanks P Jones, June 2008). Chip was also slang for an Indian rupee. The official Urban Dictionary API is used to show the hover-definitions. To make a monkey out of someone means to make someone look silly. Derived from the 500 Rupee banknote, which featured a monkey. Why would you lie about something dumb like that?". Arvo - Afternoon ( S'Arvo - this afternoon!) Used either to show sympathy, or to soften an insult. Dead on - good-natured, kind, sympathetic. "I never thought my friend would get married again but I just received her wedding invitation. sprazi/sprazzy = sixpence (6d). Tea - often used as an alternative for dinner up North, thus "What time is tea, mam, I'm starving". Let us know in the comments below. What does ? That's about 20p. Derived from the 500 Rupee banknote, which featured a monkey. Pronunciation emphasises the long 'doo' sound. Dive - a dive usually refers to a dirty and dark pub or club. (modifier) nautical. Bampot - a foolish, unpleasant, or obnoxious person. Clanger: A mistake. Wangle - means to get or do something that is a bit devious. yennaps/yennups = money. Hamsterkaufing - stockpiling or hoarding before a Covid-19 lockdown. Other British expressions to do with money To be quids in We use this expression a lot. Meaning. pissed. Seems to have surfaced first as caser in Australia in the mid-1800s from the Yiddish (Jewish European/Hebrew dialect) kesef meaning silver, where (in Australia) it also meant a five year prison term. Grand - a thousand (colloquial) usually referring to money. Vibe - atmosphere, feeling. "My friend was trying to get free copies of her favourite newspaper by queuing up in different locations. Paddy - temper fit, an Irishman (derogatory). Double click on any word for its definition. Also used regularly is a 'score' which is 20, a 'bullseye' is 50, a 'grand' is 1,000 and a 'deep sea diver' which is 5 (a fiver). Probably related to 'motsa' below. Crash - sleep, lose consciousness, stay at someone's flat as in "Can I crash at yours on Saturday night?". Machair - fertile low-lying grassy plain in the Outer Hebrides. Normally refers to notes and a reasonable amount of spending money. lady/Lady Godiva = fiver (five pounds, 5) cockney rhyming slang, and like many others in this listing is popular in London and the South East of England, especially East London. 5. As with deanar the pronunciation emphasis tends to be on the long second syllable 'aah' sound. E.g." It was a great holiday, we just sat around cabbaging, topping up our tans and drinking cocktails." 2. You are listening to our fourth and final episode specialising on slang and money! A rare example of money slang from more recent times, even though it draws from the pre-decimal slang, since the term refers to ten shillings (equivalent to 50p) and alludes to the angular shape of the old theepenny bit. smackers/smackeroos = pounds (or dollars) - in recent times not usually used in referring to a single 1 or a low amount, instead usually a hundred or several hundreds, but probably not several thousands, when grand would be preferred. Dope - Awesome. simon = sixpence (6d). The biblical text (from Acts chapter 10 verse 6) is: "He (Peter) lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side..", which was construed by jokers as banking transaction instead of a reference to overnight accommodation. (British English, slang) if you say that it is brass monkeys or brass monkey weather, you mean that it is very cold weather; get a monkey off your back Like most languages, English has its fair share of slang terms related to a variety of topics and money is no exception. Wow. Yonks - in a long time as in "I haven't seen you in yonks.". quarter = five shillings (5/-) from the 1800s, meaning a quarter of a pound. Monkeys are primates. The coin was not formally demonetised until 31 August 1971 at the time of decimalisation. Monkeys are famously playful and mischievous, and because of this, monkey is a common diminutive (or fond nickname) for impish kids, and monkey business is foolishness or deceitful behavior. The most likely origin of this slang expression is from the joke (circa 1960-70s) about a shark who meets his friend the whale one day, and says, "I'm glad I bumped into you - here's that sick squid I owe you..", stiver/stuiver/stuyver = an old penny (1d). Monkey: British slang for 500 pounds sterling; originates from soldiers returning from India, where the 500 rupee note had a picture of a monkey on it. Posh - port out, starboard home; elegant, stylish, or upper class. 2. the fur of certain long-haired monkeys. It was quite an accepted name for lemonade". (Thanks to R Maguire for raising this one.). ? 11. Here the top 80 most used Irish slang phrases. Zebra Crossing - black and white pedestrian crossing. Mug off - disrespect, make someone appear stupid. It means to make a profit. silver = silver coloured coins, typically a handful or piggy-bankful of different ones - i.e., a mixture of 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p. Brassed off - annoyed and unhappy feeling. A Dictionary of American Idioms monkey business [monkey business] {n.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. Horner, so the story goes, believing the bribe to be a waste of time, kept for himself the best (the 'plum') of these properties, Mells Manor (near Mells, Frome, Somerset), in which apparently Horner's descendents still lived until quite recently. From cockney rhyming slang clodhopper (= copper). Other suggestions connecting the word pony with money include the Old German word 'poniren' meaning to pay, and a strange expression from the early 1800s, "There's no touching her, even for a poney [sic]," which apparently referred to a widow, Mrs Robinson, both of which appear in a collection of 'answers to correspondents' sent by readers and published by the Daily Mail in the 1990s. clod = a penny (1d). In parts of the US 'bob' was used for the US dollar coin. Thats a modern repurposing of the earlier slang that either meant to burgle (To get into somewhere that was tight as a drum) or prison cell (Same root). Scrummy - (upper class) slang for delicious, scrumptious. Once the issue of silver threepences in the United Kingdom had ceased there was a tendency for the coins to be hoarded and comparatively few were ever returned to the Royal Mint. He is just being a cheeky monkey. A group of monkeys huddled together. If you think we've missed anything let us know by commenting below. Yack - to vomit, usually because of intoxication. wad = money. Also find guides to Britain's transport system including roads, trains, buses and airports. Copyright 2023. 125 Australian Slang Words & Phrases. As well as quid, we have a whole series of words that we use to refer to money, such as: Dosh is uncountable, so you cant have doshes! score = twenty pounds (20). ", "The children will get up to monkey business if we do not keep our eye on them.". Butty - a filled or open sandwich (Northern England). British Slang Phrases About Love & Relationships And Having Fun These slang words are all about what you might do with your mates, or your bird or your bloke. Similarly words connected with sex and stupidity frequently have slang equivalents. Suggestions of origin include a supposed cockney rhyming slang shortening of bunsen burner (= earner), which is very appealing, but unlikely given the history of the word and spelling, notably that the slang money meaning pre-dated the invention of the bunsen burner, which was devised around 1857. Bent - dishonest or derogatory for homosexual. caser/case = five shillings (5/-), a crown coin. Originated in the 1800s from the backslang for penny. squid = a pound (1). EXPLANATION: While this London-centric slang is entirely British, it actually stems from 19th Century India. These Marines (fighting Sailors) were known as Squids (I, myself, was a Squid in the latter 1900s). The term has since the early 1900s been used by bookmakers and horse-racing, where carpet refers to odds of three-to-one, and in car dealing, where it refers to an amount of 300. Manc - Mancunian, a native of Manchester. nicker a pound (1). Given that backslang is based on phonetic word sound not spelling, the conversion of shilling to generalize is just about understandable, if somewhat tenuous, and in the absence of other explanation is the only known possible derivation of this odd slang. Minging - foul-smelling, unpleasant, very bad. The term coppers is also slang for a very small amount of money, or a cost of something typically less than a pound, usually referring to a bargain or a sum not worth thinking about, somewhat like saying 'peanuts' or 'a row of beans'. Popularity of this slang word was increased by comedian Harry Enfield. knicker = distortion of 'nicker', meaning 1. nugget/nuggets = a pound coin (1) or money generally. Doghouse - as in the phrase "to be in the doghouse" - to be in trouble or when someone is upset or angry with you for whatever reason. Lost the plot - to become upset, angry, irrational. McGarrett = fifty pounds (50). Potentially confused with and supported by the origins and use of similar motsa (see motsa entry). monkey. Dough . The Jack Horner nursery rhyme is seemingly based on the story of Jack Horner, a steward to the Bishop of Glastonbury at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries (16th century), who was sent to Henry VIII with a bribe consisting of the deeds to twelve important properties in the area. Play it by ear - proceed instinctively according to circumstances. Cockney Rhyming Slang. The slang money expression 'quid' seems first to have appeared in late 1600s England, derived from Latin (quid meaning 'what', as in 'quid pro quo' - 'something for something else'). madza poona = half-sovereign, from the mid 1800s, for the same reasons as madza caroon. Bees knees - a highly admired person or thing. British people like to enjoy themselves. jacks = five pounds, from cockney rhyming slang: jack's alive = five. Barmy. Cheeky Monkey. Boyo. Incidentally the Hovis bakery was founded in 1886 and the Hovis name derives from Latin, Hominis Vis, meaning 'strength of man'. ayrton senna/ayrton = tenner (ten pounds, 10) - cockney rhyming slang created in the 1980s or early 90s, from the name of the peerless Brazilian world champion Formula One racing driver, Ayrton Senna (1960-94), who won world titles in 1988, 90 and 91, before his tragic death at San Marino in 1994. bag/bag of sand = grand = one thousand pounds (1,000), seemingly recent cockney rhyming slang, in use from around the mid-1990s in Greater London; perhaps more widely too. ", "They have been monkeying around so they did not get anything done.". Century (one hundred pounds sterling). I am also informed (thanks K Inglott, March 2007) that bob is now slang for a pound in his part of the world (Bath, South-West England), and has also been used as money slang, presumably for Australian dollars, on the Home and Away TV soap series. 4. Missing beagle limps home with broken leg 10 days after being hit by train, Hundreds of schoolchildren stage more 'TikTok protests' over toilet rules, Fake psychiatrist jailed after conning NHS out of 1,300,000. Chunder. monkey (plural monkeys) . 1. Loaded - having a great deal of money; rich or alternatively under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 'Naff' was one of these words that actually meant someone was heterosexual. Brewer's dictionary of 1870 says that the American dollar is '..in English money a little more than four shillings..'. Alternatively beer vouchers, which commonly meant pound notes, prior to their withdrawal. Anorak - either hooded rainwear or slang for a nerd. Monkey Emoji is a very simple emoji usually used for its literal meaning when talking about wild and funny animals such as monkeys. The terms monkey, meaning 500, and pony, meaning 25, are believed by some to have come from old Indian rupee banknotes, which it is asserted used to feature images of those animals, but this is untrue as no Indian banknotes have featured these animals. For ex: Susan just had a new extension built onto her house, its beautiful but it must have cost her an arm and a leg! Not pluralised for a number of pounds, eg., It cost me twenty nicker.. From the early 1900s, London slang, precise origin unknown. This was also a defensive or retaliatory remark aimed at those of middle, higher or profesional classes who might look down on certain 'working class' entrepreneurs or traders. flim/flimsy = five pounds (5), early 1900s, so called because of the thin and flimsy paper on which five pound notes of the time were printed. bottle = two pounds, or earlier tuppence (2d), from the cockney rhyming slang: bottle of spruce = deuce (= two pounds or tuppence). Nugget: Referencing gold, but a general term for money of any kind. Scran - food (originally Scottish), especially that of an inferior quality compare grub. Mug - stupid, gullible or ignorant person. There are other spelling variations based on the same theme, all derived from the German and Yiddish (European/Hebrew mixture) funf, meaning five, more precisely spelled fnf. All rights reserved. The word garden features strongly in London, in famous place names such as Hatton Garden, the diamond quarter in the central City of London, and Covent Garden, the site of the old vegetable market in West London, and also the term appears in sexual euphemisms, such as 'sitting in the garden with the gate unlocked', which refers to a careless pregnancy. sprat/spratt = sixpence (6d). tony benn - ten pounds (10), or a ten pound note - cockney rhyming slang derived from the Labour MP and government minister Anthony Wedgwood Benn, popularly known as Tony Benn. * /There is [] A Dictionary of American Idioms monkey Bairn - child (Scottish, northern English). Bags (to make a bags of something) Bang on. I am grateful also (thanks Paul, Apr 2007) for a further suggestion that 'biscuit' means 1,000 in the casino trade, which apparently is due to the larger size of the 1,000 chip. EXPLANATION: Although this London-centric slang is completely British, it is actually from India in the nineteenth century. A pound in the Smoke is a Nicker A hundred of them make a ton And what rhymes with Nicker but . Slang British Money Terms. The Joey slang word seems reasonably certainly to have been named after the politician Joseph Hume (1777-1855), who advocated successfully that the fourpenny groat be reintroduced, which it was in 1835 or 1836, chiefly to foil London cab drivers (horse driven ones in those days) in their practice of pretending not to have change, with the intention of extorting a bigger tip, particularly when given two shillings for a two-mile fare, which at the time cost one shilling and eight-pence.

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