Benjamins
Hundred-dollar bills; by extension, money.
- Origin: US slang for $100 bills; Green’s cites Franklin for the bill from 1963
- On the Slang-o-matic wheel: Gen X (born 1965–1980). That is who the translator files it under, not a claim that this generation coined it.
What it means
Benjamins are US $100 bills, named for the portrait of Benjamin Franklin printed on the note. Green’s Dictionary of Slang defines the family of nicknames (Ben Franklin, Benjamin, Benny, Franklin) as “a $100 bill,” and records benjamin also meaning “any money.”
So “it’s all about the Benjamins” means it is all about the money.
Where it comes from
Green’s earliest listed citation for the family of Franklin nicknames is a 1963 blues record by Little Walter: “A hundred dollar Franklin is really sweet.” That is earlier than any benjamins citation Green’s lists.
The plural is in Green’s citations as the title of a 1997 Puff Daddy song, It’s All About the Benjamins. Later citations use it as plain slang for cash, such as a 2011 story in which a character digs through bundles of bills, “all Benjamins.”
Who says it now
The translator files benjamins under Gen X, many of whom were in their twenties or thirties when that 1997 song came out. In our observation the phrase “all about the Benjamins” is now widely known across ages, and it is often used with a wink.
Tone
Showy and a little jokey. It suggests serious money, often in a bragging or mock-bragging way. It is not rude, but it can sound flip if the money talk is serious.
What adults hear, what kids mean
A child may think Benjamin is a person they have not met, as in “Who is Benjamin?” A teenager who says a concert ticket costs “two Benjamins” means $200, which may surprise a parent who was not expecting the price.
How to use it
In our observation it is usually plural (“a stack of Benjamins”) and is often capitalized, as in Green’s citations. The singular, a benjamin, also works for one $100 bill.
Two examples, written by us:
- The repair estimate came back at three Benjamins.
- He says he plays for fun, but with that prize money it is all about the Benjamins.
How to answer it
If someone says something costs “a couple of Benjamins,” they mean about $200, so answer about the price: “Worth it?” If someone says it is all about the Benjamins, they are saying the motive is money, and you can agree or push back.
Same idea, other generations
The Slang-o-matic wheel files Benjamins under Gen X for the idea of money. These are the words it files under the same idea, by generation. They are related, not always exact translations:
Related slang
- Homie (Gen X): A close friend, especially one from your neighborhood.
- Dough (Boomers): Money, in old-fashioned slang.
- Guap (Millennials): A lot of money.
Try the slang translatorAll slang by generation
Sources
Meanings and dates on this page come from these dictionaries. Each quote is copied word for word from the linked page.
- Green's Dictionary of Slang
“the portrait of Benjamin Franklin (1706–90), founding father of the US, printed on the note”
“(US) a $100 bill.”
“Benjamin n 1. a $100 bill. 2. any money.”
“1963 Little Walter 'Dead Presidents' 🎵 A hundred dollar Franklin is really sweet,”
“Reached in and dug through the bundles of bills, all Benjamins.”
“1997 Puff Daddy [song title] It's All About the Benjamins.”