dollar-sign eyes

dollar-sign eyes

English

Etymology

Related to the convention of drawing cartoon characters with their eyes replaced by dollar signs in a moment of greed.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Noun

dollar-sign eyes pl (plural only)

1. (idiomatic, figuratively) greed
   • 2006, Roland S. Jefferson, Damaged Goods: A Novel, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 147:

     “Damn,” he said to no one in particular but looking at Trixie with dollar-sign eyes, the hardness displayed toward her softening. “We sure 'nuf gonna be seven-figure niggas, huh?”

   • 2011, Dewey Boyd Reynolds, Master of Plagues, page 284:

     Like other big cities he'd traveled to, the dollar-sign eyes of the young women couldn't resist staring at the fancy automobile he drove.

Usage notes

This figurative sense may be used as if the speaker is talking about actual eyes, for example: to look at (something) with dollar-sign eyes.