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 (General Australian):

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Noun

dollar-sign eyes pl (plural only)

1. (idiomatic, figurative) Greediness or a moment of greediness.
   • 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.