pixie money
n.— «Heard a new phrase recently: “Pixie money.” This, it was explained to me, is money that doesn’t really exist. For example, you could sell your Regina bungalow for $50,000 or $100,000 more than you paid for it, but you’d then have to spend even more money in order to buy another place. So you stay put, consoling yourself with the knowledge that your home theoretically has more value—though you can’t realize it unless you sell it, move and accept the financial consequences. So unless you figure out a way to “beat the system,” that soaring real estate value is pretty well imaginary—ergo, “pixie money.”» —“Changing of the guard at CTV Regina” by Will Chabun Leader-Post (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada) Aug. 8, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Jim in Columbia, South Carolina, has noticed sportscasters’ use of the phrase on the season with reference to a period of time. This construction shows up in the sports pages as early as the 1880s, first referring to a team’s revenue and...
The slang phrase someone ate and left no crumbs means the person did something really well. In a previous call, a listener who works in theater noted the use of ate to mean “did something well,” as in they really ate that haircut! This...