Words at Play : A Wealth of Words
Definition:
: a hundred dollar bill
Example:
"Real Wall Street fortunes are made of borrowed Benjamins and hard work."
– Chris Arnade, The Guardian, December 18, 2014
About the Word:
Benjamin Franklin has appeared on hundred dollar bills since 1914, but this slang word for C-notes dates back only to the 1990s. One of its most prominent early appearances was in the 1997 song "It's all about the Benjamins," a track on Puff Daddy's first album.
Another slang term, dead presidents, has been used to refer to American paper currency since around World War II. That term’s a bit of a misnomer, since neither Franklin nor Alexander Hamilton (pictured on the $20 bill) ever became president.
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