etymology of "pony" and other dublin casino slang

robinlacey · 28-12-2006 12:07AM #1

anyone know where these expressions (pony for 25,monkey for 500,etc) come from?
are they just a dublin thing,or are they used elsewhere in ireland,or in any other countries?
and are there other animals used for different denominations?

ntlbell · 28-12-2006 12:13AM

robinlacey wrote:

anyone know where these expressions (pony for 25,monkey for 500,etc) come from?
are they just a dublin thing,or are they used elsewhere in ireland,or in any other countries?
and are there other animals used for different denominations?

I'm pretty sure pony/monkey is an english thing.

bops · 28-12-2006 12:14AM

cockney - alas they don't rhyme??

my fav is a duckie diver!!

i love to bust people you bet in ponies - (muppets)

Marq · 28-12-2006 12:14AM

Pony is 19th century british gambling slang.
I'm sure Reggie would have a better idea about why.

There was a monkey on the 500 rupee note in India in colonial times, and that could be where the expression "monkey" for 500 comes from.

ntlbell · 28-12-2006 12:15AM

Stephen Cheshire has provided the following: With reference to a 'monkey' for £500. I was once told that it came from soldiers returning from India where the 500 rupee note had a picture of a monkey on it. They used the term monkey for 500 rupees and on returning to England the saying was converted for sterling to mean £500.
This has been confirmed by Jason Beckett who also believes that the 25 rupee note had a picture of a pony on it.
Mathew Jackson confirms this.
Ian Crossley says: Pony comes from the time when five pound notes were white and the cost of horses or ponies and the wedding carriage and the main expenses was approx £25. People used to say "I'll pay for the pony in white", referring to the colour of the money and the wedding. Therefore five white fivers became a pony roughly the cost of a wedding.

bops · 28-12-2006 12:17AM

ntlbell wrote:

Stephen Cheshire has provided the following: With reference to a 'monkey' for £500. I was once told that it came from soldiers returning from India where the 500 rupee note had a picture of a monkey on it. They used the term monkey for 500 rupees and on returning to England the saying was converted for sterling to mean £500.
This has been confirmed by Jason Beckett who also believes that the 25 rupee note had a picture of a pony on it.
Mathew Jackson confirms this.
Ian Crossley says: Pony comes from the time when five pound notes were white and the cost of horses or ponies and the wedding carriage and the main expenses was approx £25. People used to say "I'll pay for the pony in white", referring to the colour of the money and the wedding. Therefore five white fivers became a pony roughly the cost of a wedding.

nerd

Hawk Eye · 28-12-2006 12:24AM

Its english rhyming slang like a grand is used for a 1,000.
If anyone uses pony/monkey at the table, I have them down as a fish.

fixer · 28-12-2006 05:28AM

http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/money.htm

robinlacey · 28-12-2006 05:37AM

cheers for the responses,interesting stuff
i vaguely remember hearing some other denominations that had slang terms (other than ton for 100),anyone know any?

also surely a grand isn't rhyming slang?
i mean it doesn't really rhyme with thousand,unless you've had elecution lessons,which is unlikely to be a trait common to those who come up with slang

latenia · 28-12-2006 10:34AM

I always presumed this came about because the majority of dealers are from the UK and brought it with them.

Solksjaer · 28-12-2006 11:37AM

Hawk Eye wrote:

Its english rhyming slang like a grand is used for a 1,000.
If anyone uses pony/monkey at the table, I have them down as a fish.

Lol, how many creatures can you get into the one sentence. What though is a 'grand' rhyming slang for?

In ye olde days of bartering, the currency were much 'arder to discern.

Player 1. I raise you 2 hens and one Pig.
Player 2. What do you have left behind you
P 1. 6 Pigs and 10 hens (nervously)
P 2 I reraise you 5 goat and 1 goose plus all your hens and pigs
P.1 Eh, dealer, how much is that to me?
Dealer. 5 goat, 1 goose, 6 pigs and 10 Hens.
P1. FOLD
P2. Tips dealer 4 eggs. Thank you squire.
(Dealer..*bangs egg on table* (DOH)
PI Tilts and releases hound on on player 2.

ArmaniJeanss · 28-12-2006 11:40AM

robinlacey wrote:

i vaguely remember hearing some other denominations that had slang terms (other than ton for 100),anyone know any?

When I was growing up in InnerCity Dublin, others in use were 'SkyDiver' for a Fiver, and 'CockAndHen' for Ten.

GrangeUtd · 28-12-2006 12:44PM

a term for 50 is a 'bullseye'

and a 'hawaii' as in the tv show hawaii 50

also a 'hall door' slang for score (20)

a 'bag of sand' a grand (1000)

a 'bluey' 20 euro

PiperT · 28-12-2006 12:54PM

robinlacey wrote:

anyone know where these expressions (pony for 25,monkey for 500,etc) come from?
are they just a dublin thing,or are they used elsewhere in ireland,or in any other countries?
and are there other animals used for different denominations?

Pearl Diver = €5 (also SkyDiver)
Cock & Hen = €10 (I've also heard it being referred to as a Yul Brenner)
€20 is simply a "score"
Pony and Monkey are commonly used gambling expressions in both Ireland and UK.

jbravado · 28-12-2006 01:16PM

Ertn Senna(famous f1 driver) is sometimes used for a tenner.........

Trippie · 28-12-2006 01:26PM

jbravado wrote:

Ertn Senna(famous f1 driver) is sometimes used for a tenner.........

so famous you dont even know his name...:D

its ayrton

BigCityBanker · 28-12-2006 01:27PM

jbravado wrote:

(famous f1 driver)

really?

Lazare · 28-12-2006 02:26PM

Solksjaer wrote:

Lol, how many creatures can you get into the one sentence. What though is a 'grand' rhyming slang for?

In ye olde days of bartering, the currency were much 'arder to discern.

Player 1. I raise you 2 hens and one Pig.
Player 2. What do you have left behind you
P 1. 6 Pigs and 10 hens (nervously)
P 2 I reraise you 5 goat and 1 goose plus all your hens and pigs
P.1 Eh, dealer, how much is that to me?
Dealer. 5 goat, 1 goose, 6 pigs and 10 Hens.
P1. FOLD
P2. Tips dealer 4 eggs. Thank you squire.
(Dealer..*bangs egg on table* (DOH)PI Tilts and releases hound on on player 2.

LMFAO!!!

The_Chopper · 28-12-2006 02:34PM

Any of you guys know what a gorilla is?

DeVore · 28-12-2006 02:43PM

The_Chopper wrote:

Any of you guys know what a gorilla is?

A large endangered primate.

DeV.

Killme00 · 28-12-2006 02:45PM

The_Chopper wrote:

Any of you guys know what a gorilla is?

its a large primate..dont call one a monkey, apparently they arent

Marq · 28-12-2006 02:52PM

Hawk Eye wrote:

If anyone uses pony/monkey at the table, I have them down as a fish.

That's pretty funny.

Solksjaer · 28-12-2006 02:52PM

The_Chopper wrote:

Any of you guys know what a gorilla is?

Is it an animal that carrys out urban attacks on state/regular forces, wearing a common isignia with an appetite for yellow bended fruit.

Killme00 · 28-12-2006 02:59PM

Solksjaer wrote:

Is it an animal that carrys out urban attacks on state/regular forces, wearing a common isignia with an appetite for yellow bended fruit.

oh so thats what they mean by gorilla warfare

kpnuts · 28-12-2006 04:15PM

Killme00 wrote:

oh so thats what they mean by gorilla warfare

it ain't no fun when the rabbit's got the machete

Killme00 · 28-12-2006 04:51PM

kpnuts wrote:

it ain't no fun when the rabbit's got the machete

it is when he is caught in the headlights!!

Hawk Eye · 28-12-2006 05:36PM

I was clearly mistaken that a grand was cockney slang, think 'bag of sand'=grand.
I must baffle some newbie with 'sorry bud ye wouldn't change up me monkey for 4 ton and 4 ponies' next time I'm moved table.

nicnicnic · 28-12-2006 06:11PM

Flem = €5

cock = €10

trum = €300

half = €50

not 100% on this one but think a rofe = €30

Mellor · 28-12-2006 06:12PM

The_Chopper wrote:

Any of you guys know what a gorilla is?

Is its €5000?
kinda like a monkey, only bigger.

Healio · 29-12-2006 12:17AM

nicnicnic wrote:

not 100% on this one but think a rofe = €30

are you thinking of ruof (four spelled backwards??) usually used by bookmakers.

nicnicnic · 29-12-2006 01:02AM

Healio wrote:

are you thinking of ruof (four spelled backwards??) usually used by bookmakers.

yep thats it, Amount ?

etymology of "pony" and other dublin casino slang

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