back-porch money
n.— «That’s not to say street money doesn’t cause problems. For one thing, by the time it reaches ward leaders, it is cash. While some ward leaders are assiduous about keeping receipts and filing the necessary public reports, others aren’t. Indeed, some ward leaders have—surprise!—skimmed money before it reached the street. There is even a name for this, “back-porch money”—not enough to build a house, but enough to get yourself a nice new porch.» —“Cash and Carry (the City)” by Tom Ferrick Jr. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania New York Times Apr. 22, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Lynn from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, says her mother used to urge the kids along with Put your shoes on, Lucy, don’t you know you’re in the city? The line comes from a popular song first copyrighted in the mid-1940s that goes in part Put your shoes...
A playwright from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, wonders if anyone outside her home region says they’re going down the shore to mean they’re “going to the beach.” Go down the shore is often used in Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and parts of...