1
general::
Phrase(s): funny money
1. Sl. counterfeit money. • The bank teller spotted the funny money in the man’s deposit almost immediately. 2. Fig. temporary or substitute money, good only in certain places. • What am I going to do with all this funny money when I leave here? It’s no good anywhere else. 3. Fig. foreign currency. (Jocular.) • We had better buy some gifts and get rid of some of this funny money before our flight.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
Counterfeit money; also, money from an obscure or questionable source. For example, The police warned storekeepers that some funny money was being passed around town. This expression probably endures because of its rhyme. [1930s]
American Heritage Idioms