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目腐れ金 (めくされがね) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun
pittance ; measly sum ; trifling amount of money
Colloquial and derogatory term for a very small, almost insulting amount of money. Literally 'eye-rotting money', implying it's so little it hurts to look at.
He's being made to work for a measly sum.
Similar words はした 金がね Also means a small amount of money, but はした金 is less vivid and derogatory than めくされがね.
雀すずめ の 涙なみだ Idiomatic expression for a very small amount, literally 'sparrow's tears', but not as harsh or slangy as めくされがね.
Etymology Compound of 目 (eye) + 腐れ (rotting, from 腐れる) + 金 (money). The literal meaning 'eye-rotting money' suggests an amount so small it is painful or disgusting to behold. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a colloquial Edo-period expression.