Dictionary

coffee money en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈkɔfi ˌmʌni/

Etymology

A euphemism that refers to the amount of money typically enough to buy a cup of coffee. The bribe or gratuity fee sense is a calque of Malay duit kopi.

Meanings

1. (slang, uncountable) Loose change.
2. (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, idiomatic, uncountable) A small amount of money given as a bribe or gratuity.
   • Singapore is free of corruption as any place on earth. (Even small-scale bribery attempts lead to immediate arrest.) Ironically, this has surfaced as a disadvantage for Singaporeans conducting business in other countries - where contacts aren’t always considered binding, bureaucratic inefficiency can make a mockery of time tables, infrastructures can be unreliable, “quality” may be seen as a relative term and “tea money” (known as “coffee money” during Singapore’s British colonial days) is a prerequisite to getting anything done. 1998, Alexandra Kett, Passport Singapore: Your Pocket Guide to Singaporean Business, Customs & Etiquette, page 31:
   • If you have ever paid or are thinking of paying ‘Coffee Money’ when stopped for traffic or other offences, don’t ever do this again. 2010 September 16, Roger Poh, “Driving in Malaysia: Why you mustn’t bribe Malaysian traffic cops”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):
   • Obviously he was trying to wear out your patience in the hope that you will hand over some undercounter coffee money to him instead of paying for the official tax/fine which does not benefit him at all. 2008 March 31, Alan Wong, “The Stupid Things I Did At The Malaysian Custom”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):

Forms

Relateds

tea money

Translations (4)

nan-hbl 咖啡鐳 /咖啡镭 (euphemism for small bribe) · ms duit kopi (euphemism for small bribe) · vi tiền cà phê (euphemism for small bribe) · cmn 咖啡錢 /咖啡钱 (euphemism for small bribe)