IOU nothing money
n.— «They’re trying now to establish a single currency in Europe. I don’t mind that so much, if Europe wants it, but this present world-wide fiat paper money—what I call “IOU nothing” money—is going to break down. We’re headed for the worst economic catastrophe in all of history. Obviously the best one- world money would be gold, the good old gold standard, but that is a pipe dream now.» —“Simplex Munditiis” by John Exter Lank Business Online (Sri Lanka) Oct. 4, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
If you speak a second or third language, you may remember the first time you dreamed in that new tongue. But does this milestone mean you’re actually fluent? And a couple’s dispute over the word regret: Say you wish you’d been able...
While reading Great Expectations (Bookshop|Amazon) by Charles Dickens, a listener in Arlington, Texas, is surprised when one of the characters inherits some money, which Dickens describes as a cool four thousand. Were they really using cool that way...