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Difference between Silly money and Smart money

silly money

1. a ridiculously large sum of money:

  • Buying a house in central London will set you back close to a million quid—it’s just silly money.

2. (rare) a ridiculously small sum of money:

  • Try the new helios range of binoculars, they are just silly money for what you get.

Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase mad money(coll.)

1. money for use in an emergency (especially carried by a girl out on a date):

  • He “interviewed” her first date to determine “his intentions for his granddaughter,” then gave her “mad money.”

2. money saved up for personal use (while on holiday, etc.) and spent unpredictably:

  • As long as my mad money lasts, I’m going to have a good time.

smart money—(U.S. coll.)

1. money bet or invested by smb. with expert knowledge:

  • In referring to money wagered by persons with good tips or information, the term used is “smart money.”

2. said of smart or knowledgeable people:

  • Germany has declared war on Russia, and the smart money says that this is only the beginning.