How much is a pony and a monkey? co*ckney rhyming slang for money explained (2024)

For the uninitiated, co*ckney rhyming slang can be a pretty confusing language which is probably best avoided if you don’t know the ins and outs of it.

However, when it comes down to money, it is probably worth getting your head around the lingo, to prevent you handing over, or receiving, a wildly incorrect amount because you got the wrong word.

Some slang can be quite specific to an area or even an individual who has conjured up their own word for something, but there are a few that are widely used and are worth remembering.

Even if you never actually get anywhere near the sound of Bow bells, it is handy pub quiz knowledge to have in your locker.

The most widely recognised co*ckney rhyming slang terms for money include ‘pony’ which is £25, a ‘ton’ is £100 and a ‘monkey’, which equals £500.

Also used regularly is a ‘score‘ which is £20, a ‘bullseye’ is £50, a ‘grand’ is £1,000 and a ‘deep sea diver’ which is £5 (a fiver).

Less well used slang terms include ‘Lady Godiva’ for fiver and ‘Ayrton Senna’ for tenner.

‘co*ck and hen’ or ‘co*ckle’ is also used for £10, whilst £1 might be referred to as a ‘nicker’, a ‘nugget’ or if you’re going retro, an ‘Alan Whicker’.

Where do the terms ‘monkey’ and ‘pony’ come from?

Whilst this is not cemented in fact, the widely held belief is that the terms came from soldiers returning to Britain from India.

Old Indian rupee banknotes had animals on them and it is said that the 500 rupee note had a monkey on it and the 25 rupee featured a pony.

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