funny money
1. Counterfeit money. He got arrested for trying to use funny money at a department store. I'm not trying to pass funny money! I had no idea that $20 wasn't legitimate! The cashier discreetly called the police after a man attempted to pay for groceries with funny money.
2. Money that can only be used in a certain place. You can't use that funny money here—it's only good at the school store. Sweetie, we can't use Monopoly money at the grocery store—they don't take funny money. If we do all our reading, then we get funny money to buy little prizes from the teacher.
3. Cash in a foreign currency. We need to exchange this funny money before our flight home. Darn, I still have funny money on me, even though we can't use loonies or toonies in the States. Got any American dollars on you, buddy? We don't take this funny money here.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
funny money
1. Sl. counterfeit money. The bank teller spotted the funny money in the man's deposit almost immediately.
2. Fig. temporary or substitute money, good only in certain places. What am I going to do with all this funny money when I leave here? It's no good anywhere else.
3. Fig. foreign currency. (Jocular.) We had better buy some gifts and get rid of some of this funny money before our flight.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
funny money
Counterfeit money; also, money from an obscure or questionable source. For example, The police warned storekeepers that some funny money was being passed around town. This expression probably endures because of its rhyme. [1930s]
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.
funny money
1. n. counterfeit money. The bank teller spotted the funny money in the man’s deposit almost immediately.
2. n. military script; temporary or substitute money, good only in certain places. What am I going to do with all this funny money when I leave here? It’s no good anywhere else.
3. n. foreign currency. (Jocular.) We had better buy some gifts and get rid of some of this funny money before our flight.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
funny money
Peculiar currency, either because it is counterfeit or because it comes from dubious sources. This expression originated in the United States in the 1930s and became popular after World War II, when American tourists began to use it for any foreign currency as well. It is somewhat derogatory, implying that foreign money is not as “real” or has less worth than domestic currency.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer