Idioms

fast buck

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fast buck

1. noun Money made quickly or without effort, often through dishonest, unscrupulous, or ethically dubious means. Often used in the phrase "make/earn a fast buck." The people hawking T-shirts commemorating the tragedy are just looking to make a fast buck. Ignore him, he's just a ticket scalper looking to make a fast buck. Quit worrying so much about earning a fast buck and focus instead on creating a sustainable business.
2. adjective Concerned with making money quickly, easily, and (often) unscrupulously. Often used to modify the word "artist," thus implying the individual is a swindler to some degree. In this usage, it is usually hyphenated. All of these Wall Street investors are just a bunch of fast-buck artists, if you ask me. Before the economic crash, a huge amount of fast-buck speculators were selling over-inflated loans to people for property that was essentially worthless. Mom, do not give Rich any money. He's just a fast-buck artist, and his so-called "business ventures" never pan out.
See also: buck, fast
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

fast buck

Money made quickly and easily and, often, dishonestly. For example, He's all right, but his partner is just out for a fast buck. This expression gave rise to fast-buck artist for an individual, especially a swindler, intent on making money quickly. [Slang; mid-1900s] Also see easy money.
See also: buck, fast
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

fast buck

verb
See also: buck, fast
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
See also:
References in periodicals archive
I am also impressed to see leading Liverpool restaurants getting involved in this campaign, instead of just seeing an opportunity to make a fast buck.
The WRU commits its own form of making a fast buck on the back of international tickets - by charging huge sums for ones which come as part of a hospitality package.
Protesters have accused the company behind a Northumberland wind farm bid of being out to make a "fast buck" from the controversial scheme.
Even as a child, Sallans was always looking for a way to make a fast buck, and in his mid teens, he found a very easy and profitable method.
NOT content with just selling tickets for the big match, touts are also trying to make a fast buck by selling train tickets to and from Cardiff on the day of the final.
Douglas Moffat, who runs Glasgow's Truffle Club, said: "The council are doing this to stop applicants who want to make a fast buck."
Be wary of the fast buck - veteran Chapman, having waited so long for his first Tour triumph, may well play with a freedom from the fear of failure which has dogged his career whenever he has been in a winning
If you shut down one site such as Ask.fm, smart-alec operators will only open another one, supported by unscrupulous advertisers keen to turn a fast buck.
I can't help feeling short-changed by the TV companies who only seem to be intent on making a fast buck.
By encouraging people to use this instead of a car, passengers would no longer be "held to ransom" by bosses wanting to make a fast buck (or a rogue taxi driver who is prepared to 'fleece' nave tourists).
Selly Oak, Harborne, Selly Park and Bournbrook are full of properties owned by landlords who only want to make a fast buck whilst these areas become a rubbish tip.
I am also impressed to see leading restaurants getting involved in this campaign instead of just seeing an opportunity to make a fast buck.
Footballers live in a goldfish bowl these days and the unscrupulous won't hesitate in making a fast buck at their expense.
I sometimes wonder if the New Labour ministers in Wales have a grand plan to make Wales a huge theme park when a fast buck is more important than the protection of our environment and what's left of the natural beauty of Wales.
GMB General Secretary John Edmonds said: ``What has it come to when ministers sell off parts of the NHSas if they are flogging a used car to fat cats seeking a fast buck?''
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