walking-around money

[waw-king-uh-round]

noun

1. money that is carried on the person for routine expenses and minor emergencies; pocket money.

2. Also called street money. Political Slang.,  cash sums given by political managers, district leaders, or the like, to grass-roots workers and others for expenses incurred while canvassing for votes or doing other chores before an election.

Word History and Origins

Origin of walking-around money¹

1975–80, walking-around money for def. 2

Example Sentences

He has more walking-around money than you or I do, but he didn’t have walking-around money to buy Twitter for $44 billion.

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As the year kept going on, sales kept being bad, and Bed Bath’s walking-around money kept shrinking.

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For the first time the E.P.A. has “a little bit of walking-around money,” Mr. Regan joked to staff at a recent meeting.

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The days of someone always carrying a little walking-around money seem long gone.

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If, that is, you and me happen to have a few hundred thousand dollars or more of walking-around money on hand.

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