Dated American slang, rooted in Yiddish, for a five-dollar bill. The word comes from the Yiddish finf meaning five, carried into American slang through the influence of Jewish immigrant communities in the early 20th century. While largely old-fashioned today, finif belongs to a rich tradition of Yiddish-influenced American street slang alongside words like sawbuck (ten dollars) and deuce (two dollars). Still turns up in vintage crime fiction and old-school New York slang discussions.
He slipped the newsboy a finif and told him to keep the change.
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(US, _, slang, dated) A five-dollar bill .
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.