king's shilling
noun
A shilling formerly given to a recruit when enlisting in the army during the reign of a king.Having stood for pre-selection and having been elected as a member of the Howard Government, the member for Kooyong has indeed taken the king's shilling....
- Honor was permanently surrendered for the king's shilling as otherwise decent men chose to become informers.
- They blabbed about their time in the desert, became zillionaires and ruined it for everyone who fancied earning a bit more than the king's shilling.
Phrases
take the King's shilling