Simoleon

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /sɪˈmoʊliən/

Definitions

1. A unit of currency, especially a dollar bill or coin, often used colloquially or humorously to refer to money
2. A colloquialism for a monetary unit, particularly resembling a dollar, commonly used in informal or humorous discussions about money
3. A slang term for a form of currency, particularly resembling a dollar, that is often employed humorously or informally when discussing finances

Etymology: The name of the game currency in The Sims, "simoleon," is older than the video game by well over a century. It is most likely a late-nineteenth-century blend of two coin names. One is "simon," British slang from the seventeenth century for a sixpence coin, and possibly for a dollar later on, a word that may be linked to "simony," the buying of church offices. The other is "napoleon," the French gold coin worth twenty francs, which bore the image of Napoleon III. Blending "simon" with "napoleon" produced a name that sounded like a fine foreign gold piece, which suited a word for money said with a wink. The term is thought possibly to have come from New Orleans, though the evidence for that origin is less certain. When the makers of The Sims chose a name for their fictional currency, they may have picked it partly because it resembled "Sim," the game's own name, though this is a plausible guess rather than a documented fact.

Synonyms: dollar, buck, currency, cash, money