What does 'quid' mean?

What it means: British slang for a pound (£). One quid = £1. Five quid = £5. Unlike most currency slang, "quid" doesn't change in the plural — "five quid" not "five quids."

"Can you lend me a quid?"
"That'll cost about fifty quid."

Where it comes from: Origin is debated — possibly from Latin "quid pro quo," or from an Italian immigrant community in London. It's been in use since at least the 17th century.

• "Grand" = £1,000 (also used in American English)
• "Ton" = £100 (informal, less common)
• "Score" = £20 (informal)
• "Fiver" = £5 note (because of the actual word on the note)
• "Tenner" = £10 note

Register: Casual. Used in everyday speech. Fine between colleagues; not in formal documents.

Tags: British English, money, slang, everyday English