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
Eels, orts, and Wordle! Sweden awarded its most prestigious literary award to a book about…eels. The Book of Eels reveals the mysterious life cycle of this sea creature and its significance for famous figures from Aristotle to Sigmund Freud. Plus...
At a South African boarding school, Rob picked up a phrase from Afrikaans that translates to land with your bum in the butter, meaning “to be lucky.” There are several variations in English — often with other words for “bum”, like...