fast buck

American  

noun

Slang.

1. money made easily or quickly and sometimes unscrupulously.

   He speculated briefly in the commodities market in the hope of making a fast buck.

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fast buck Idioms  

1. Money made quickly and easily and, often, dishonestly. For example, He's all right, but his partner is just out for a fast buck. This expression gave rise to fast-buck artist for an individual, especially a swindler, intent on making money quickly. [Slang; mid-1900s] Also see easy money.

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Other Word Forms

• fast-buck adjective

Etymology

Origin of fast buck

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50

Example Sentences

Hakim -- not his real name -- travelled south from the Paris region at the end of 2020 when he was 15 thinking to make a fast buck, but things quickly went wrong.

From Barron's

It’s a scam that some in the country turn to during tough economic times, observers say, creating an influx of fake lawyers who feign legal expertise in order to make a fast buck.

From New York Times

“All Bahamians need to realize, don’t mind the fast buck. Because when the material is gone, the money is gone, too,” Glinton said.

From Seattle Times

That responsibility requires doing what’s right long-term, not just what might make a fast buck.

From Seattle Times

The new breed of retail investor has acquired the image of a flighty, speculative day trader just looking to make a fast buck, especially in the riskier, frothier parts of financial markets such as crypto.

From Reuters