#15: Long Green
Even today, there are many slang words to describe money. That’s not a new thing. While today, people might use the words ‘dough’ or cheddar’ (why is that?), the term ‘long green’ served as slang to refer to money in the past. Originating in American English during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, ‘long green’ evoked the imagery of paper currency, which were often long and green in color.
The phrase is pretty straightforward and captured the association between wealth and the physical appearance of money, emphasizing its length and color as symbols of financial prosperity. This term has pretty much been replaced with other slang words these days.