Bennies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A slang term for the drug Benzedrine, often refers to stimulant pills used to enhance energy or alertness
2. Informal reference to perks or benefits, particularly those that come with a job or employment situation
3. Colloquially used to describe additional advantages or bonuses that one may receive, sometimes in the context of lifestyle enhancements

Etymology: "Bennies" is the plural of "benny," which is itself a clipping of "benefit" in the sense of an advantage or perk. The shortening follows a familiar pattern in English slang, where a longer word is trimmed and given a "-y" or "-ie" ending, as with "movie" from "moving picture." Because "benefit" was already a word for a gain or favor, the trimmed form drifted naturally toward the workplace extras that employers and staff talk about. The "-y" ending has a second life here. Its more famous use in this family is "benzedrine," the trade name of an amphetamine drug, whose short form "benny" became a slang term for a pill of that drug. Once "benny" was in circulation as a shortened word, the "-y" ending was available for other clippings, so the two senses share a sound without sharing a source in any direct way.

Synonyms: benefits, perks