The Language of Money

Through a detailed examination of proverbs related to money, this book offers a comprehensive critique of the prevailing everyday ideologies and discourses on money and paves the way toward establishing a new set of proverbs more conducive to financial equality and human well-being. The volume explores a variety of contexts to demonstrate the different aspects of the money system and the linguistic and social structures embedded within them, including pay day loan websites, gambling, get rich self-help books, and new forms of currency. Unpacking this complex relationship between people, money, and language in contemporary society, this book is an ideal resource for students and scholars in language and communication, sociolinguistics, rhetoric, sociology, and media studies.

Annabelle Mooney is Professor of Language and Society at the University of Roehampton. Other publications include Human Rights and the Body: Hidden in Plain Sight, The Language of Money and Debt: A multidisciplinary approach and Language, Society and Power.

1. Introduction 2. Approach 3. You Have to Speculate to Accumulate 4. Money Doesn't Grow on Trees 5. Money Makes the World Go Round 6. Money Talks 7. It's Better to Be Born Lucky Than Rich 8. New Proverbs, A New Contract