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Origin and history of smacker

smacker(n.)

"money," c. 1918, American English slang, perhaps from smack (v.2) on notion of something "smacked" into the palm of the hand. Extended form smackeroo is attested from 1939. The meaning "a loud kiss" is by 1775, from smack (v.1).

Entries linking to smacker

1801, "hit so as to produce a sharp sound;" especially "sharply strike a flat surface with the inside of the hand," 1835, from smack (n.2) in the sense of "sharp sound made by hitting" (1746); perhaps influenced by Low German smacken "to strike, throw," in any case likely ultimately of imitative origin. Compare Swedish smak "slap," Middle Low German smacken, Frisian smakke, Dutch smakken "to fling down," Lithuanian smogti "to strike, knock down, whip."

The general sense of "strike (anything) with great force" is by 1882 in sports.

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