phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Dosh

Posted by ESC on March 22, 2002

DOSH - "n British. Money. This is a working-class term from the early 1950s which was falling out of use in the 1960s, but which, like many similar words (bunce, loot, lolly, etc.) was revived in the money-conscious late 1980s. It is a favourite with alternative comedians and 'professional cockneys.' The original would seem logically to be the old African colonial term 'dash,' denoting a tip or bribe, but other authorities claim that it is influenced by 'doss,' in the sense of the price of a bed (for the night)." From "Dictionary of Contemporary Slang" by Tony Thorne (Pantheon Books, New York, 1990).

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.