Search from various English teachers...
bright_ld
What is "You look like a hundred bucks." mean?
The original sentence is: "You look like a hundred bucks. Long night?" It seems not a compliment. What is that mean?
Jul 2, 2012 3:58 AM
Answers · 4
9
The original phrase is "You look like a million bucks" which typically means that the person is well-dressed or good-looking.
So to say "you look like a hundred bucks" is an insult, because just as a hundred is significantly lower than a million, the person does not look as good as they should look.
July 2, 2012
1
It's a thinly disguised insult.
July 2, 2012
Sigh. A hundred dollars used to buy a lot in the U.S. And for those of us who are frugal, it still does. A person who would DISDAINFULLY say, "You look like a hundred bucks," is in a higher economic bracket than many. Of course, as Marcia notes, the statement is actually a clever revision of the original million-dollar expression.
July 2, 2012
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!
bright_ld
Language Skills
Chinese (Cantonese), English
Learning Language
English
Articles You May Also Like

Same Word, Different Meaning: American, British, and South African English
10 likes · 7 Comments

How to Sound Confident in English (Even When You’re Nervous)
12 likes · 9 Comments

Marketing Vocabulary and Phrases for Business English Learners
8 likes · 2 Comments
More articles