English

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Etymology

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Related to the convention of drawing cartoon characters with their eyes replaced by dollar signs in a moment of greed.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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dollar-sign eyes pl (plural only)

  1. (idiomatic, figurative) Greediness or a moment of greediness.
    • 2006, Roland S. Jefferson, Damaged Goods: A Novel, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 147:
      “Damn,” he said to no one in particular but looking at Trixie with dollar-sign eyes, the hardness displayed toward her softening. “We sure 'nuf gonna be seven-figure niggas, huh?”
    • 2011, Dewey Boyd Reynolds, Master of Plagues, page 284:
      Like other big cities he'd traveled to, the dollar-sign eyes of the young women couldn't resist staring at the fancy automobile he drove.

Usage notes

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  • This figurative sense may be used as if the speaker is talking about actual eyes, for example: to look at (something) with dollar-sign eyes.