Readies

Readies is a historical slang noun meaning money in hand or ready cash. The term denotes funds that are immediately available for spending, as opposed to credit or bank deposits not readily on hand. In usage, phrases like “the readies” or “on the readies” describe cash that a person has ready to spend or pay with. The sense is distinctly financial and informal, rather than a formal accounting term.

Etymology and usage context: Readies derives from the phrase “ready money.” It was most common in British English and other varieties of English from the late 19th century through the early 20th century. The term appears in period novels, newspapers, and other historical writings to convey a speaker’s liquidity or the immediacy of payment. While it can be encountered in modern discussions of slang or in historical reconstructions, it is generally considered archaic today.

Modern status and related terms: In contemporary usage, readies is rare and usually confined to period dialogue or literary commentary. Modern equivalents include cash, ready cash, or liquid assets. Readers may encounter readies in discussions of economic history, crime fiction set in earlier eras, or analyses of slang, where the goal is to evoke a specific historical register. See also ready money, cash on hand.