# coffee money

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/coffee-money
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A small amount of money given as a bribe or gratuity.

## Examples

- I gave the guard some coffee money to let me park here.
- The official refused to sign the permit until I offered him some coffee money to speed up the process.
- While the transaction was technically legal, the consultant expected a bit of coffee money to ensure the contract was awarded to his preferred firm.

## Origin

A euphemism describing a sum sufficient to purchase a single cup of coffee, functioning in its sense of a bribe or gratuity as a calque of the Malay *duit kopi*.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.