Money talks. But the way we talk about money says even more. If you’ve ever been handed a crisp, blue-tinted piece of paper and called it a "blue cheese" or a "Benjamin," you’re participating in a linguistic tradition that stretches back to the founding of the U.S. Mint. Honestly, 100 dollar bill slang isn't just about sounding cool or being "street." It’s a reflection of how we view power, status, and the very fabric of American capitalism.
The $100 bill is the heavy hitter. It’s the largest denomination currently in circulation for the general public. Because of that weight, it has more nicknames than almost any other bill in your pocket.
The Face That Launched a Thousand Nicknames
Benjamin Franklin. He’s the guy on the bill. Interestingly, he wasn't even a president. He was a polymath, an inventor, and a diplomat. Because his face is so synonymous with the C-note, "Benjamins" became the gold standard for 100 dollar bill slang. Puff Daddy and the Family immortalized this in the 1997 hit "It's All About the Benjamins."
That song didn't just top charts; it cemented the term in the global lexicon. You go to a market in Tokyo or a club in Berlin, and if you say "Benjamins," people know exactly what you're talking about. It’s universal.
But why Franklin? Why not a president? The Treasury Department decided long ago to feature people who had a significant impact on the development of the United States. Franklin’s work with the Declaration of Independence and his scientific contributions made him a lock. Yet, most people don't think about his experiments with electricity when they're dropping a "Benny" at a restaurant. They think about the purchasing power.
The Blue Note Revolution
In 2013, the Federal Reserve gave the $100 bill a massive facelift. They added a 3D security ribbon and changed the color palette to include distinct blue hues to thwart counterfeiters. Almost overnight, the slang evolved.
Suddenly, people were talking about "blues" or "blue strips." In hip-hop culture, specifically coming out of Atlanta and the South, you started hearing "blue cheese." Why? Because the blue security strip looks a bit like the veins in blue cheese. It’s a weirdly specific, culinary-based evolution of 100 dollar bill slang that shows how quickly language adapts to physical changes in currency.
If you’re carrying a stack of the newer bills, they look different. They feel different. They literally sound different when you snap them.
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C-Notes and Centuries
Old school. That’s what a "C-note" is. The "C" refers to the Roman numeral for 100. This term grew legs during the early 20th century, heavily favored by noir detectives and mobsters in black-and-white films. If you watch an old Bogart movie, they aren't talking about "blue cheese." They want a "C-note" for their troubles.
"Century note" is the long-form version of this. It’s formal. It’s got a bit of gravitas. It sounds like something a bank teller in the 1940s would say while sliding a stack of cash across a marble counter. You don't hear it much in the wild anymore, but it remains a pillar of the slang ecosystem.
Then you have "Hundy."
It’s casual. It’s what you say to your buddy when you’re settling a bet. "Just give me a hundy and we’re even." It strips away the prestige of the bill and treats it like a common unit of exchange. It's the "it’s no big deal" version of the most valuable bill in common use.
The Cultural Weight of a Bill
Why do we have so many names for one piece of paper?
Linguists often argue that we create slang for the things that consume our thoughts. We have dozens of words for "drunk" and hundreds of words for "money." The $100 bill represents a specific threshold. It’s the point where "pocket change" turns into "capital."
In many communities, carrying "big faces" (another term for the post-1996 bills where Franklin’s portrait was enlarged) is a sign of security. It’s a hedge against the world. When you use 100 dollar bill slang, you’re signaling your familiarity with that world. You’re showing you aren't a tourist in the land of high-stakes transactions.
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- Dead Presidents: A general term for cash, but often used to refer to a stack of hundreds.
- Paper: Simple, understated, but everyone knows the denomination you mean when you're talking about "real paper."
- Yard: Mostly used in the UK or in specific gambling circles to mean 100 (though in the UK it refers to 100 pounds).
- Rack: Usually means $1,000 (a "stack" of ten hundreds), but the individual units are the foundation.
The Security Factor
Let’s get real for a second. The reason the $100 bill is so iconic is also why it’s the most forged bill in the world outside of the U.S. (Inside the U.S., the $20 bill actually holds that title).
When you’re dealing with "blue strips," you’re looking at some of the most advanced printing technology on the planet. The 3D ribbon isn't printed on the paper; it’s woven into it. If you tilt the bill, the bells change to 100s. It’s a literal magic trick designed to keep the economy stable.
Understanding the slang often requires understanding the physical bill. If someone asks if your "Benny" has the "motion ribbon," they’re checking for authenticity. It’s a shorthand for trust.
Why People Get It Wrong
A common misconception is that all slang is created by young people or rappers. That’s just not true. A lot of money slang comes from the "floor" of the New York Stock Exchange or from the backrooms of old Vegas casinos.
"Bills" is a term that has flipped. It used to mean any denomination. Now, if someone says "I need five bills," they almost exclusively mean 500 dollars. The $100 unit has become the default "bill."
Also, don't confuse "large" with a hundred. "A large" is a thousand. If you walk into a store and try to buy a $100 item with "a large," you're going to have a very confusing conversation with the cashier.
How to Use This Knowledge
Don't overdo it.
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Nothing sounds more "AI-generated" or "try-hard" than someone forcing slang into a conversation where it doesn't belong. If you’re at a high-end art gallery, you probably shouldn't ask if they take "blue cheese." But if you’re at a flea market or a casual poker game, using these terms can actually build a bit of rapport. It shows you know the culture of the currency.
Here is the practical breakdown of how to handle your "hundreds" in the real world:
1. Check the Ribbon
When someone hands you a hundred, look for that blue 3D ribbon. Even if they call it a "Benjamin," make sure Benjamin is actually there.
2. Know Your Audience
Use "C-note" with the older crowd. Use "blue strips" or "hundred" with the younger generation. Use "Benjamins" if you want to be safe and universally understood.
3. Respect the Power
The $100 bill is the only bill that still commands immediate respect. It represents a day's work for some and a second's work for others. The slang you choose should reflect the context of the transaction.
4. Watch the "Small Faces"
If you come across a $100 bill with a small portrait of Franklin (pre-1996), it’s still legal tender, but many businesses might be hesitant to take it because they aren't used to seeing it. These are often called "old heads" in slang circles.
The evolution of 100 dollar bill slang is far from over. As we move toward a more digital economy, the physical bill becomes even more of a symbol. It becomes an artifact. We might eventually reach a point where "Benjamins" are things we only see in museums, but the language we created to describe them will likely live on in our digital wallets and Venmo captions.
Next time you pull cash out of an ATM, take a second to look at it. Is it a "blue strip"? A "big face"? Whatever you call it, it’s a piece of history you can hold in your hand.
If you're looking to manage those Benjamins more effectively, start by tracking your physical cash transactions for one week. Most people lose track of where their hundreds go because they "break" the bill and the change vanishes into small, forgotten purchases. Treat every $100 bill like the significant asset it is, regardless of the nickname you give it. Change your habits, and you'll find you have a lot more "blue cheese" sitting in the bank at the end of the month.