What it means
Extra cash or profit, especially when it turns up unexpectedly or you’ve made a little on the side. A nice bit of bunce could be a refund you forgot about, a bonus at work, or flogging something for more than you paid. It’s not lottery money, just that sweet little boost that has you walking around like you’ve won.
Usage examples
"Had a random leccy refund hit my account on the bus. Nice bit of bunce, mate, I’m off to the chippy for a proper scran."
"Sold the old garden mower at the car boot sale in Stratford-upon-Avon for forty quid more than I paid for it, proper bit of bunce on top of the eight pounds for the cherry tomatoes that the lady from the allotment had grown to perfection this summer."
"My uncle picks up a bit of bunce every December at the racecourse near Doncaster when he runs the betting kiosk for the family bookmaker, two weeks of overtime, a Christmas hamper from the boss and a thank-you tenner from every regular punter on the way out."
"Got twenty quid back off me energy bill I forgot I'd overpaid. Lovely bit of bunce that, drinks are basically funding themselves tonight."
"Shift manager chucked us a tenner each for staying late after close. Not life-changing, but bunce is bunce and I'm not arguing with the money fairies."
Where it comes from
Bunce is old British slang for a little extra payment or profit, and it’s widely traced back to Romani use around money and bonus cash. It settled into market, trading, and working-class speech in Britain, where it kept that same wink of meaning: not riches, just a tidy bit extra landing your way.
Other ways to say it
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