RICH
(also see WEALTHY)
ADJECTIVES
► ABLE rich, well-to-do → 1766 Sc. & Eng. dial.
► AFFLUENTIAL prominent or socially influential on account of wealth; rich and powerful → 1842
► BETTER-HEELED better off, wealthier, richer → 1873 sl., orig. US
► CRUMMY rich, having well-filled pockets → 1735 sl.
► DAVE DEE, DOZY, BEAKY, MICK AND TICH rich → 2004 UK rhyming sl.
► EADI rich, wealthy, luxurious → a1000 obs.
► FAT of a person: affluent, wealthy, well-to-do, rich → 1611 obs. exc. Amer. dial.
► FLUSH rich → 1603 sl.
► HEELED rich; now usually preceded by ‘well’ → 1880 sl.
► IN THE CHIPS having money; rich, affluent → 1938 US sl.
► IN THE MONEY rich; orig. used to denote being among the prize-winners in a competition, show, etc. → 1902 sl.
► INGOTTED rich → 1864 sl.
► LAANIE ► LAHNIE ► LANI ► LANIE ► LARNEY moneyed, rich, wealthy → 1970s S. Afr. sl.
► LOADED rich → 1995 US sl. (Bk.)
► LOUSY-RICH very rich, wealthy → 1942 Amer. sl.
► LOUSY WITH MONEY rich → 1843 Amer. dial.
► MADE OF MONEY rich; mainly used in negatives and questions → 1849 sl.
► OOFY rich, wealthy → 1898 sl.
► OPIME rich, abundant, sumptuous, splendid → 1533 obs.
► OPIMOUS rich, abundant, plentiful, sumptuous, splendid → 1656 obs.
► OPIPAROUS rich, sumptuous → 1621 obs. rare
► PENNY-WHITE ugly but rich → L17 colloq., rarely of men
► PLUMMY rich; desirable; very good → 1812 sl.
► PLUMP IN THE POCKET flush of money→ 1827
► PURSE-SWOLLEN possessing a great deal of money, wealthy, rich → 1823
► PURSY having a full purse; rich, wealthy; proud or arrogant on account of wealth → 1602
► RARELY OFF in comfortable circumstances; well-to-do; rich → 19C Eng. dial.
► RHINOCERAL rich → M19 sl.
► RHINOCERICAL having plenty of ‘the rhino’; rich; full of money → 1688 sl. obs.
► RHINO-FAT rich → 1903 sl. (Bk.)
► RICH AS CROESUS very rich → 1577
► RICH AS INDEE very wealthy → 1902 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► RICH AS JAY GOULD very rich → 1965 Amer. dial.
► RICH AS MUCK extremely rich → L19 sl.
► ROLLING IN IT rich → 1782 sl.
► ROTTEN WITH MONEY very rich → 1871 colloq.
► STAKEY ► STAKY rich → 1919 sl., chiefly Can.
► STINKING ► STINKING RICH very wealthy, filthy rich → 1956 US sl.
► STRONG IN THE POCKET having substantial financial resources, wealthy, rich → 1699
► STRONG IN THE PURSE adj. wealthy, rich, having substantial financial resources → 1754
► TINNY having plenty of ‘tin’; rich, wealthy → 1871 sl.
► VERY FAMILLIONAIRE typical of a nouveau riche → M19 UK society usage
► WADDED well-off, rich → 2002 UK sl.
► WARM comfortably off, well-to-do; rich, affluent → 1571 colloq.
► WARM-POCKETED rich, well-to-do → 1899 Eng. dial.
► WELL-HEELED rich → 1880 sl.
► WELL-SHOD rich → L19 US sl.
► WORTH A PLUM rich → c1710 colloq.
NOUNS
► AFFLUENZA the condition of being (temporarily) wealthy or affluent → 1908 obs.
► DIVITIOSITY abundance of riches; a being very rich → 1656 obs.
► HOB’S KNOB the smart, rich area of a town → 20C US sl.
NOUNS – PERSON
► ABOUNDER one who has plenty or is wealthy; a rich person → 1755 chiefly poetic usage, obs.
► BALLA ► BALLER one who is extremely rich, esp. from the profits of criminality → 1991 African-American sl.
► BARLEY-BUN GENTLEMAN a rich gentleman eating poorly and otherwise living in a miserly way → 17C
► BARON anyone who has money → 1841 sl.
► BAWLA one who is extremely rich, esp. from the profits of criminality → 1991 African-American sl.
► BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE. THE rich and fashionable people, regarded as a social group; the members of a social or celebrity elite → 1950 colloq. orig. US
► BIFFTAD a rich kid → 1993 teen sl. (Bk.)
► BIG LEGS a big spender; a rich man → 1972 homosexual sl. (Bk.)
► BIG NOTE MAN a rich man; a wealthy person → 1950 Aust. sl.
► CENTIMILLIONAIRE a person whose assets are worth at least 100 million dollars → 1881 US
► CHARLIE POTATOES a rich and powerful person → 2000s sl.
► CODFISH ARISTOCRACY the vulgar new-rich → 1926 US sl. (Bk.)
► CROESUS a very rich person → 1390
► DEEP POCKETS a rich person → 2006 US sl. (Bk.)
► DORADO a rich man → 1643 obs.
► DOUGHNUT a rich fool → 1926 US sl. (Bk.)
► FAT CULL a rich fellow → 1848 Amer. dial.
► FAT SQUIRE a rich fool → 17C sl.
► GAGER a rich man → 18C UK sl.
► GOTROCKS a nickname for a rich, high-society person → 1965 Amer. dial.
► HOORAY HENRY orig. a loud, rich, rather ineffectual or foolish young society man; hence, a fashionable, extroverted, but conventional upper-class young man → 1936 Brit. sl., derogatory
► ICKY a rich person → 1953 US sl.
► IT GIRL a woman who is very famous, fashionable, or successful at a particular time; esp. a glamorous, vivacious, or sexually attractive actress, model, etc., or a young, rich woman who has achieves celebrity because of her socialite lifestyle → 1927 colloq., orig. US
► JACK FULL OF MONEY a rich and easy-spending man, especially if young → 1896 Amer. student sl. (Bk.)
► JAKE GOULD one who is rich and important → 1965 Amer. dial.
► JOHN D a very rich person → 19137 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► LAANIE ► LAHNEE ► LANI ► LANIE ► LARNEY a White person; a rich person → 1970s S. Afr. sl.
► LEVIATHAN a man of vast and formidable power or enormous wealth, a rich and powerful person → 1607
► MONEYBAGS (sometimes derogatory) a person characterized as having or desiring money; a wealthy or rich person → 1820 colloq.
► MONEY-BUG a millionaire → c1898 sl., orig. US
► MONEYED MAN a rich or wealthy man → a1593
► MONEY GRIP a rich man; one who has money and flaunts it → 1991 US students’ sl.
► MONEY’S MAMMY a very rich person → 1942 African-American sl.
► MOOSE-FACE a rich, ugly-faced man → 1914 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► MR. ASTORBILT a rich or high-class person; a member of the ‘best society’ of a community; a self-important person → 1965 Amer. dial.
► MR. GOTROCKS a nickname for a rich, high-society person → 1930s Amer. dial.
► MR. MONEY a rich person → 1950s sl.
► MRS. GOTROCKS a nickname for a rich, high-society person → 1965 Amer. dial.
► MRS. JAY GOULD a woman who is rich and important → 1965 Amer. dial.
► NABOB a person of great wealth; one who returned from India with a large fortune acquired there; a very rich and luxurious person → 1764
► NABOBESS female nabob; the wife of a nabob → 1767
► NARIKIN a nouveau riche → 1910s sl.
► NEECEE PRINCESS a nouveau riche young woman → L19 UK society usage
► NOBBY a person of social distinction or pretensions, a rich or high-class person → 1882 Sc.
► NOOV ► NOOVE a member of the nouveuax riches → 1984 Brit. sl., derogatory
► OAK ► OKE a rich man, a man of substance → 1608 sl.
► OLD GAGER a rich old man → 1718 UK criminals’ sl.
► PARVE a parvenu, a person from a humble background who has rapidly gained wealth or an influential social position; a nouveau riche; an upstart, a social climber → 1980s Aust. sl.
► PLOOT ► PLUTE a rich person → 1908 sl., chiefly US, derogatory
► PLUM a rich man → 1709
► PURPLE-WEARER a rich or noble person → 1629
► RABBIT SUCKER a rich young man who is gulled into running up large bills by confidence tricksters who later dun him for their debts → L16 UK criminals’ sl.
► RAG SPLAWDGER ► RAG SPLAWGER a wealthy or rich man → c1858 sl.
► RAG-GORGER ► RAG-GORGY a wealthy or rich man → c1820 sl.
► RICH BUG one who has plenty of money → 1968 Amer. dial.
► RICHIE a rich person → 1966 sl., orig. & chiefly US
► RICHLING a rich person (said with contemptuous force) → a1500
► RICHY a rich person → 1966 sl., orig. & chiefly US
► ROCKEFELLER an immensely rich person; a millionaire → M20
► ROUGH DIAMOND ‘a rich man who eats peas with his knife’ → 1926 US sl. (Bk.)
► SAPPODIL a rich man with the sweet nature of a daffodil who is easily induced to spend his money → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► SARAH a single, rich, and happy woman → 2002 UK sl.
► SILK HAT a rich person → L19 US sl., later African-American usage
► SILK STOCKING a rich or wealthy person → L19 US sl., later African-American usage
► SQUILLIONAIRE a multi-millionaire; hence, an extremely rich person → 1979 sl.
► STINK-O’-BRASS an extremely rich person who is also a niggard → 1878 Eng. dial.
► TINMAN a very rich man; a millionaire → L19 sporting sl.
► TURKEY-BUYER a rich person → L19 sl.
► TWO-BOB MILLIONAIRE a person temporarily flush with money → 1984 Aust. colloq. (Bk.)
► UMIALIK a boat captain; a boss; a rich man → 1866 Alaska
► UPJUMP an upstart, a nouveau riche; a term of abuse → 1910s Aust. sl.
► VANDERBILT a very rich or wealthy man; a multi-millionaire → 1909 US sl.
► VICTORIA a nouveau riche person → 2003 UK sl.
► WARM MAN a rich man, flush in the pocket → 1766 sl.
► ZILLIONAIRE a multi-millionaire; hence, an extremely rich person → 1944
PHRASES
► GRASS-BELLIED WITH SPOT CASH rich, having plenty → 1945 US Western usage (Bk.)
VERBS
► ABOUND to be rich or wealthy, to prosper; to have a plentiful supply or stock of something → a1382 arch.
► BE WORTH A PLUM to be rich → c1710 colloq.
► DIVITIATE to enrich, to make rich → 1627 obs.
► FALL HEAVY to die rich → 1854 Eng. dial.
► GET CURED to get rich → 1957 US sl.
► GET FAT to become rich → 1995 African-American sl.
► HAVE GRAVY ON ONE’S GRITS to be rich → 2006 US sl. (Bk.)
► HAVE MONEY TO BURN to be rich, to have plenty to spend → 20C sl.
► MAKE A BOMB to become rich; to ‘make a packet’ → c1945 Brit. sl.
► MAKE ONE’S PILE to become rich → 1854 sl., orig. US
► RICH to become rich → 1641 Sc. obs.
► STINK OF MONEY to be rich → 1877 sl., derogatory
► STINK WITH PRIDE to be ‘offensively’ rich → 1877 Eng. dial.
► STRIKE IT RICH to become rich → 1884 sl., orig. US
► WALLOW IN WEALTH to be very rich → 1905 Eng. dial. (Bk.)