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"nickname" for bills

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welldone

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This is really interesting. The other day I went to a bank and wanted to break my $10 bill to 10 "$1" bills. Actually I felt it kind of hard to say "10 $1 bills". The lady teller was really nice. She helped me when I was still trying to mumbling out the sentence.

"Do you want me to break it to 10 singles?"

Yeah! That's what I wanted to say.

So, now I know $1 bill is just single.

I looked it up on our website here and found this:

$100 bill sleeve
$20 bill double
$50 bill nifty

Actually I didn't get many chances to hear people using them. Are they actually used in daily life at all?
 

Tdol

Editor, UsingEnglish.com
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In Britain we say 'fiver' and 'tenner'. We only have pound coins now. We'll have to wait for one of our American friends to answer that question.;-)
 

Tdol

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It's not always so straightforward- we also use animal names like 'pony' and 'monkey' in London. ;-)
 

MikeNewYork

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welldone said:
This is really interesting. The other day I went to a bank and wanted to break my $10 bill to 10 "$1" bills. Actually I felt it kind of hard to say "10 $1 bills". The lady teller was really nice. She helped me when I was still trying to mumbling out the sentence.

"Do you want me to break it to 10 singles?"

Yeah! That's what I wanted to say.

So, now I know $1 bill is just single.

I looked it up on our website here and found this:

$100 bill sleeve
$20 bill double
$50 bill nifty

Actually I didn't get many chances to hear people using them. Are they actually used in daily life at all?

In AE, all bills can be called "greenbacks" (due to the color) or "dead Presidents" because of the portraits, even though Hamilton and Franklin were never President.

$1: single(s), one(s), buck(s), dollar(s)
$2: two(s)
$5: five(s), five spot(s), fiver(s)
$10: ten(s), ten spot(s), sawbuck(s)
$20: twenty(ies), double sawbuck(s)
$50: fifty(ies)
$100: hundred(s), c-note(s),

I've never heard "sleeve" or "nifty" for money.
 
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welldone

Guest
thank you so much Mike:).
I saw sleeve and nifty in our online slang dictionary...

Now I know...
 

MikeNewYork

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welldone said:
thank you so much Mike:).
I saw sleeve and nifty in our online slang dictionary...

Now I know...

You're very welcome. It is possible that some people use those other words for money, but I've never heard them. :wink:
 
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