readies
LowInformal
Definition
Meaning
Cash or other forms of money in hand, immediately available for use.
Ready money; physical cash, especially banknotes. Also used informally to refer to financial resources that are immediately accessible.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a plural noun, treated as plural. Often used with possessive adjectives (e.g., 'my readies'). Implies immediacy and liquidity, contrasting with assets that are not easily convertible to cash.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Predominantly British informal usage. In American English, the equivalent informal term is more likely to be 'cash', 'bucks', or 'dough'.
Connotations
In British English, it carries a slightly old-fashioned or folksy, yet still informal, connotation. It can suggest having a specific sum prepared for a transaction.
Frequency
Common in UK informal speech and journalism; rare to non-existent in standard US English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to have (got) the readiesto need [amount] in readiesto get the readies togetherto be short of readiesVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Have you got the readies?”
- “He's always short of the readies.”
- “I need to get the readies together for the deposit.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Informal business talk, e.g., 'We need the readies to close the deal.'
Academic
Not used.
Everyday
Informal conversations about payments, purchases, or being short of money.
Technical
Not used in formal financial contexts.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I need some readies for the bus.
- Have you got the readies for the ice cream?
- The car costs two thousand, so I need to get the readies.
- He borrowed some readies from his brother.
- Before the auction, make sure you have the readies available.
- The landlord wants the deposit in readies, not by card.
- The sudden opportunity required a substantial amount of readies, which he luckily had to hand.
- Despite his impressive property portfolio, he was often temporarily embarrassed for readies.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'ready cash' being shortened to 'readies' – the money that is ready to use.
Conceptual Metaphor
MONEY IS A READY TOOL (immediately available for use).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with the verb 'to read' (чита́ть) or its forms. This is a noun only.
- Do not translate directly as 'готовый'. It refers specifically to cash, not general readiness.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a singular noun ('a ready').
- Using it in formal writing.
- Confusing it with the adjective 'ready'.
Practice
Quiz
In which variety of English is 'readies' most commonly used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is strictly informal.
No, it is almost always used as a plural noun (e.g., 'the readies', 'some readies').
'Readies' specifically refers to physical cash that is immediately available, whereas 'money' is a more general term for currency and wealth.
They might understand it from context, especially in films or books, but it is not a term they would typically use themselves.