Bunce

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. To spring back or recoil sharply ; money gained through petty fraud or embezzlement
2. To leap or spring away after impact ; illicit profit or financial gain obtained through corrupt means
3. To bound back elastically ; dishonest earnings or kickback money obtained through underhand dealings

Etymology: Bunce is British slang for money, or more specifically for profit or extra earnings, and its story runs through the street markets of London. Costermongers, the barrow-pushing fruit and vegetable sellers of Victorian London, had their own jargon, and bunts was one of its words for the money they made. The word's most likely source is "bonus," the Latin-derived term for an extra payment or gain, which would have been clipped and reshaped as it passed into street speech. The link is only a probable one, so the exact route from "bonus" to "bunce" is not certain. The word is still widely recognised today in British English, where "bunce" can mean a windfall or a profit made on the side, often in phrases about a bit of extra cash. Its connection to the costermonger's barrow suggests how a formal Latin word for a reward could end up as a cheerful piece of working-class slang.

Synonyms: perquisite, perk