What it means
A way of saying something brings in money, usually as a sideline, and it carries a cheeky little wink like it’s a crafty wheeze. Most often you’ll hear nice little earner, meaning easy cash for not much graft. It can be totally above board, but it still sounds like someone’s found a loophole and is milking it.
Usage examples
"He’s been flipping old records off his mum’s loft on eBay. Nice little earner, innit, few quid a pop and barely any graft."
"Carla started selling secondhand prom dresses out of her spare room, turned out to be a nice little earner around exam season every year."
"My uncle drives airport runs at weekends, says it is a nice little earner, especially when the train strikes are on and people will pay anything to get home."
"Doing wedding photos on Saturdays has turned into a nice little earner for her. Couple of hours with a camera and she’s sorted for the week."
"The corner shop started taking parcel drop-offs and that’s a nice little earner now. Hardly any effort, just scan it and stack it."
Where it comes from
A proper British bit of slang. It was already in UK speech for a profitable sideline or handy source of cash, then Only Fools and Horses gave it rocket fuel when Del Boy kept tossing it out. That sitcom glow helped lock it into everyday British chat.
Other ways to say it
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