Impress your date with Currency Lingo! - ForexAnalytix

Some Foreign exchange jargon, or nick names for currencies:

USD (U.S. Dollar) – Greenback or Buck
GBP (British Pound) – Sterling or Betty
GBP/USD (British Pound / U.S. Dollar pair) – Cable
EUR/USD (Euro) – The Single currency or Fiber (*NOT Eurodollar *see below)
EUR/GBP (Euro / British Pound) “THE Cross” or Chunnel
CHF (Swiss Franc) – Swissy
EUR/CHF (Euro/Swiss Franc) Chuffs
CAD (Canadian Dollar) – Loonie
USD/CAD (US Dollar / Canadian Dollar) “The Funds” or Beaver
AUD (Australian Dollar) – Aussie or Ozzie or Matey
NZD (New Zealand Dollar)- Kiwi or The Bird
USD/RUB (U.S. Dollar / Russian Ruble) – Barney (Rubble)
EUR/RUB (Euro / Russian Rubble) – Betty (Rubble)
GBP/JPY (British Pound / Japanese Yen pair) – Gopher (sometimes Guppy)
EUR/JPY (Euro / Japanese Yen pair) – Euppy (pronounced Yuppy)
USD/JPY (U.S. Dollar / Japanese Yen pair) – Ninja or “Bill & Ben”
AUD/NZD (AustralianDollar/NewZealandDollar) Kylie
SGD (Singapore Dollar) Sing (USD/SGD dollar-sing)
CNY (Chinese Yuan) Mao (USD/CNY dollar-mao)
SEK (Swedish Krone) The Stokkie (EURSEK Euro-stockie)
NOK (Norwegian Krone) The Nokkie (EURNOK Euro-nokkie )
USD/MXN (Mexican Peso) dollar-mex (not M-E-X)

*A EuroDollar is not the Euro currency; it annoys many old FX traders to hear the euro currency referred to as “eurodollar”. A eurodollar refers to a US dollar on deposit at banks outside the US. Similarly, eurodollar futures are a very popular interest-rate futures contract.

Nicola Duke