the.com/quid
British slang for a pound, because 'pound' wasn't confusing enough already.
means An informal British term for one pound sterling, used the same whether you mean one quid or fifty (the plural stays 'quid').
from First recorded in the late 1600s, likely borrowed from the Latin phrase 'quid pro quo' (something for something) — slang that already carried a whiff of exchange and payment, which made it a natural fit for money. Exactly how it narrowed down to mean 'pound' specifically is murky, and other theories exist, but the Latin link is the one most etymologists lean on.
- origin theory
- possibly from Latin quid pro quo, something for something
- grammar quirk
- plural is still quid, never quids
- age
- in slang use since the late 1600s
- us equivalent
- like calling a dollar a buck, but posher sounding