Dictionary

spange en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Canada) audio
• /speɪnd͡ʒ/

Etymology

Blend of spare + change, from stereotyped phrase “spare change?”, “[can you] spare any change?”

Meanings

1. (US, intransitive) To beg, particularly using the phrase “spare change?”
   • 1996, Tim “Salvage”, quoted in Ian Fisher, “Erin’s looking for Leg-Rub Steve. Fly’s looking for CD’s to steal. Star’s looking for Jaya. And it’s starting to get cold.” I don’t spange much because I really don’t like doing it. I eat out of trash cans a lot.
   • 2009, Kelly Myers, 33, quoted in Joe Deegan, “Nowhere To Go”, San Diego Reader Then my father would send all us kids out to ‘spange’ [beg for spare change]. You could sometimes make $50 a day by spanging. Other days you might make a dollar.

Forms

Deriveds

spanger · spanging