# green handshake

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/green-handshake
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A bribe, or a transfer of money that the interested parties represent as a tip but that disinterested third parties are likely to view as a bribe.

## Examples

- The official accepted a green handshake to approve the permit.
- You cannot get a table here without giving the host a green handshake.
- He offers a green handshake to avoid paying the full fine.
- The contractor slipped the inspector a green handshake to ensure the building passed its safety check without any delays.
- The politician lost his job after a journalist filmed him accepting a green handshake from the local property developer.
- Some people believe that a green handshake is the only way to get a driver's license quickly in this city.
- Although the transaction was documented as a standard consulting fee, the investigators suspected it was merely a green handshake intended to influence the outcome of the bidding process.

## Origin

Because U.S. dollar bills are green; the term reflects euphemistic irony, as it implies that a handshake that hands them off is more than a mere handshake.

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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.