| 释义 |
wonga, n. Brit. slang.
Brit. |ˈwɒŋgə|, U.S. |ˈwɑŋgə|
Forms: 19– vonga, 19– wonga
[‹ British Romani wongar coal, money ‹ Romani angar coal (see below).
The shift in meaning in British Romani may be due to a Romani practice of collecting coal fallen from passing trains for use as currency, although compare cole n.3 and the following:
1874G. Borrow Romano-Lavo-Lil 100 Wongar, coal. Also a term for money; probably because Coal in the cant language signifies money. Compare also:
1890A. Barrère & C. G. Leland Dict. Slang Vongar, wongur (gypsy), coals. Also hangars and angars... Receivers of stolen goods are in the habit of carrying small pieces of coal about with them. When they see a thief who seems to be rather shy..they will innocently show him a bit of coal. ]
Money.
1984J. Green Dict. Contemp. Slang 310/1 Wonga n., money. 1989Correspondent Mag. 29 Oct. 61/2 He hopes the book will make him loads of ‘wonga’. 1993Times 22 Jan. 2/2 You gentlemen could just troop down to the Strand and pick up a huge amount of tax-free wonga from the libel courts. 2001Arena Aug. 47 A means of flaunting your wealth that works on two levels: not only you can afford this, you've even got enough wonga left over to make it worth owning. |