chump change

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chump change

Where it comes from

From the idea that only chumps would fall for it. The neutral sense is an extension from the sense concerning indignation.

noun

US, idiomatic, uncountable An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small. If you sell one of those cars, your commission will be chump change.
US, idiomatic, uncountable A sum of money considered to be insignificant. Near-synonyms: petty cash, pocket money, walk-around money, walking-around money; small change, pocket change, loose change, spare change; pittance
Similar: petty cash, pocket money, walk-around money, walking-around money, small change, pocket change, loose change, spare change, pittance

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MLA

"chump change." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/chump%20change. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

chump change. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/chump%20change

Chicago

"chump change." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/chump%20change.

BibTeX

@misc{chump_change_2026,
  title = {chump change},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/chump%20change},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}