Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. usu. in pl., money, cash.

[1584		Three Ladies of London II: I lent you two thousand ducets for three monthes space].
1639		J. Shirley Gentleman of Venice I i: In the mean time lend me the trifling Duccats.
1775		Sheridan Duenna II iv: I shall be entitled to the girl’s fortune, without settling a ducat on her. Ha! ha! ha! I’m a cunning dog, an’t I?
1853		G.J. Whyte-Melville Digby Grand (1890) 95: From spendthrift King John downwards, the Christian has ever pocketed the ducats, and abused the donor [i.e. the Jews].
1866		H.L. Williams Gay Life in N.Y. 88: I ain’t no sucker — my money is good and I’ll bet my ‘ducats’ that the smasher can take any of the crowd agin him.
1879		Cincinnati Enquirer 7 Sept. 10/7: Wealth, Ore, [...] Ducats, Nicks, [...] are the synonyms of money.
1880		Bulletin (Sydney) 25 Dec. 9/4: The Baroness Burdett-Coutts is old in years, but young in ducats.
1889–90		Barrère & Leland Dict. of Sl., Jargon and Cant.
1891		Nat. Police Gaz. (NY) 31 Jan. 2/3: Lydia Thompson [...] is trying to catch our applause and our ducats with ‘The Dazzler’.
1895		Mirror of Life 26 Jan. 15/4: Mr Poore (protesting): ‘But we can live on bread and cheese and kisses.’ Miss Dukkats: It is true we could, but, in an arrangement of that kind all the girl should be expected to furnish is the kisses’.
1903		Sun. Times (Perth) 9 Aug. 4/8: Bet your ducats he’ll be there.
1929		M. Prenner ‘Sl. Terms for Money’ in AS IV:5 357: To avoid using the word money, the well-informed user of slang may use cush, darby [...] ducats.
1931		‘Ellery Queen’ Dutch Shoe Mystery (1934) 418: Hendrik is provided for in a very liberal trust-fund [...] which will keep him in ducats for the rest of his life.
1989		Ice-T ‘You Played Yourself’ 🎵 Madam’s shook ’cos your ducats got took.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 238: You’ve fucked off all your ducats gambling.
2004		J.A. Juarez Brotherhood of Corruption 261: ‘You’re straight. We’ll float ya the ducats’.

2. (US, also duc) $1.

1866		H.L. Williams Gay Life in N.Y. 88: I’ll bet my ‘ducats’ he can take any of the crowd again him.
1927		H.C. Witwer Classics in Sl. 84: So’s the damsel’s old man won’t run him off the porch when he gets out there, says Bassanio, he’s got to have three thousand ducats.
1931		Irwin Amer. Tramp and Und. Sl. 67: Ducat. – A dollar, merely a play on the word for the old Italian coin, first struck in the 12th century.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 63/1: Ducat. [...] 2. A dollar.
1962		Ragen & Finston World’s Toughest Prison 797: ducat – A-dollar.
1976		Eble Campus Sl. Nov. 2: ducats – dollar bills.
1995		L. Stavsky et al. A2Z 30/2: ducats, ducs – n. dollars: How many ducats we talkin’ about?
2001		G. Pelecanos Right As Rain 147: ‘Take this,’ said Quinn, handing him a dollar bill [...] ‘A ducat,’ said Moon, examining the one.

3. a ticket for the theatre, a sporting event etc.

1879		‘Autobiog. of a Thief’ in Macmillan’s Mag. (London) XL 501: So I took a ducat (railway ticket) for Sutton in Surrey, and went a wedge-hunting.
1887		‘Dagonet’ ‘A Plank Bed Ballad’ in Referee 12 Feb. n.p.: I was taking a ducat to get back to town / (I had come by the rattler to Dover).
1896		F. Hutcheson Barkeep Stories 208: ‘He’s dere wid a bunch o’ dem ducats w’ere a guy takes a chance an’ wotever number he drags out he settles dat much silver’.
1901		J. London ‘Local Color’ Complete Short Stories (1993) I 693: No matter where you are, wire me and I’ll send the ducats to come on at once.
1915		T.A. Dorgan Indoor Sports 13 Apr. [synd. cartoon] Smith is the name — I lost the ducat but it was a shirt and 4 collars.
1936		R. Chandler ‘Guns At Cyrano’s’ in Red Wind (1946) 202: Take the ducat back and get a pair together.
1941		B. Schulberg What Makes Sammy Run? (1992) 8: Do you still want the ducats?
1953		W.L. Alderson ‘Carnie Talk’ AS XXVIII:2 115: ducat, n. A ticket sold at the gate; any ticket sold at a carnival.
1960, 1975		Wentworth & Flexner DAS.
2001		‘Randy Everhard’ Tattoo of a Naked Lady 116: Carnies got a word for these special tickets – ducats.
2012		W. Keyser ‘Carny Lingo’ in http://goodmagic.com 🌐 Ducat (sometimes 'ducket') — A free game ticket or other free pass to something, dispensed either as an enticement to play or as a gift to cool down a disgruntled player.

4. a (business) card.

1928

J. Callahan Man’s Grim Justice 38: I slipped him a ducat (card) with the ’phone number on it.

5. (US tramp) a counterfeited letter identifying one as some form of victim, used to facilitate begging.

1926		J. Black You Can’t Win (2000) 65: When the woman opens the door you slip her your ducat and she reads: ‘I am deaf and dumb. I got hurt by a street car and just come out of the county hospital. I am trying to get seven dollars to pay my fare home to Cheyenne’.
1933		Ersine Und. and Prison Sl. 34: ducat, n. A doctor’s certificate which states that the bearer is deaf, dumb, or blind, or that he is physically unable to work. It is often used by professional beggars.
1960, 1975		Wentworth & Flexner DAS.

6. (US prison) any form of document.

1928		R.J. Tasker Grimhaven 185: I received the ducat while he was busy at the warden’s office.
1935		D. Lamson We Who Are About to Die 98: The beef is one for which the con draws a ducat telling him to report to the Porch.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 76: ducat [...] a warrant for arrest; a pardon.
1962		Ragen & Finston World’s Toughest Prison 797: ducat – A ticket.
1976		M. Braly False Starts 229: Sometimes he would cause a ducat to be sent to me.
1992		Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 14: Ducat A certificate stating the bearer is entitled to a certain amount of money or ‘store.’.
2000		Other Side of the Wall: Prisoner’s Dict. July 🌐 Ducat: Prison passes for movement in the institution. Assignments for jobs, cell changes, sick-call, and other prison programs. Trust fund withdrawals for canteen draws.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 32: I promised him two g’s for a PI’s ducat, quicksville.

7. (US Und.) as the ducats, a form of confidence trick involving marked cards.

1940

D. Maurer Big Con 295: The ducats. A short-con game played with five business cards. The roper connives with the mark to put a pencil mark on one card which will enable him to draw the right one and beat the insideman. But the cards are turned end for end and a duplicate pencil mark on a non-winning card misleads the mark. Also the tickets.

8. (US und.) a counterfeit $10 bill.

1953

‘John Eagle’ Hoodlums (2021) 155: Thirteen more Alexanders to pass, thirteen more ducats curving into the future.