The $20 bill features a portrait of former U.S. President Andrew Jackson on the front and the White House on the back, with slang terms like "Jackson," "twenty," or "dub" used to refer to it. While Jackson has been on the $20 bill since 1928, there have been redesigns with enhanced security features like color-shifting ink and background tints.
A twenty-dollar note is called a "lobster" or redback because of its red colour. A fifty-dollar note is also known colloquially as a "pineapple" or the "Big Pineapple" because of its yellow colour.
Dub for double was slang for $20 (double ten) in the 1940s and for a $20 worth of a drug in the 2010s, as seen in some hip-hop lyrics. Speaking of drugs, dub has named a cigarette in the 1970s and then a marijuana joint in the 1990s, perhaps as a form of doobie.
United States twenty-dollar bill. The United States twenty-dollar note (US$20), also referred to as the United States twenty-dollar bill, is a denomination of U.S. currency.
The $20 note- is colloquially known as the lobster for its bright orange colour- Thank you Mr Salakas for bringing my attention to this Aussie slang.
£1 - "A quid" (This is probably one of the most common slang terms for pounds.) £5 - "A fiver" (A widely used term for a £5 note.) £10 - "A tenner" (Similarly, a £10 note is often referred to as a tenner.) £20 - "A score" or "a pony" (A less common term, but still heard occasionally.)
In the Uk, a fiver is 5 pounds - it is also referred to as a 'Deep sea diver' in Cockney rhyming slang A nine to five - is a standard job where you work between 9.
Common slang for $20 in the U.S. includes "Jackson" (after Andrew Jackson), "dub" or "double", and simply calling it a "twenty", while in the UK, it might be a "score" or "pony", but slang varies by region and currency. Other general terms for money like "bucks," "dough," or "moolah" can also be used, often with a number, like "twenty bucks".
A lot of people don't realize that only the government has to take the bill or coins from you. A bank or merchant can refuse it. A bank isn't going to refuse a ripped 20 as long as 1 whole serial number can be seen and part of the other though.
In Cockney slang "pony" means 25 £ which is "25 pounds sterling" or just "25 pounds" in common British usage.
Decoding 'Dub': The Slang That Means 20
At its core, 'dub' is shorthand for the number 20—a playful twist on language that reflects our fast-paced world. The origins of this usage are fascinating. Imagine the letter 'W', which visually resembles two 'U's or two 'V's stacked together—hence, 'double U'.
The term 'dough' came to mean 'money', as it stems from the term 'bread' which came before it. 'Bread' was used to reference money in the earlier days, as both bread and money were seen as everyday essentials in life – without either of these it was impossible to get by.
Ducat is an Italian word related to duke. If you recognize this word, you might know it from William Shakespeare's Hamlet, in which the hero shouts “Dead, for a ducat, dead!” Also, ducat is mentioned so often in The Merchant of Venice that it was slang for “money” or “ticket” for a long time after.
Under section 333 of the U.S. Criminal Code, “whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System, ...
McDonald's may accept $100 bills, but it's highly inconsistent and often depends on the specific location (franchise vs. corporate), the time of day (till cash levels), and the employee's discretion, with many locations refusing them for small purchases due to counterfeiting risks and difficulty making change. It's best to carry smaller bills like $20s or use card/digital payments.
MONKEY. Meaning: London slang for £500. Derived from the 500 Rupee banknote, which featured a monkey. EXPLANATION: While this London-centric slang is entirely British, it actually stems from 19th Century India.
Hip-hop, that reliable slang generator, brought the use of cheddar meaning 'money' to our attention: 'Touch my cheddar, feel my Beretta,' said the Notorious B.I.G. in 1994.
A fiver F-I-V-E-R simply means a five pound note. This slang term is used everywhere in the UK, especially down south.
The most common British slang for Americans is "Yank" or "Yankee," which can be affectionate, neutral, or slightly derogatory depending on tone, with "Yankee" also having specific US regional connotations (North vs. South). Other terms are less common for Americans specifically but common British slang for people in general, like "muppet" (foolish), "gormless" (stupid), or describing someone as "dodgy" (untrustworthy).