fairy money
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Found money. Said to be placed by some good fairy at the spot where it was picked up. "Fairy money" is apt to be transformed into leaves.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “fairy money” mean?
Found money. Said to be placed by some good fairy at the spot where it was picked up. "Fairy money" is apt to be transformed into leaves.
Is “fairy money” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.