mad money

American  

noun

Informal.

1. a small sum of money carried or kept in reserve for minor expenses, emergencies, or impulse purchases.

2. a small sum of money carried by a woman on a date to enable her to reach home alone in case she and her escort quarrel and separate.

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Etymology

Origin of mad money

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

The mad money this year is the never-dreamed-of tax surplus of $97.5 billion projected by July 2023.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2022

“No, I can do both. I can work at the store and be an architect. I’d make mad money that way,” he said.

From Slate • Oct. 6, 2020

Lucky for them, they have a little mad money.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 20, 2019

She was talking about the “supersized, contorted, totally out of context” towers, resulting from a cocktail of new technology and mad money, competing for height and attention, from which this city had once proudly abstained.

From New York Times • Jan. 9, 2013

Then he rubbed his fingers together, meaning planting stuff cost mad money.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz