dong

dong (đồng)

Dong is the official currency of Vietnam and is represented by the ₫ symbol.

Today 1 US Dollar will buy you ₫16,004. You can be a millionaire for a mere $62.48. As of June 13, 2006.

1 Euro will buy ₫20,144. You'll need a tiny €49.64 to become a millionaire. As of June 13, 2006.

(of echoic origin) A loud, deep tolling sound, as of a large bell or gong.

While the origin of this word is unknown, it is perhaps from a nonsense poem by Edward Lear called "The Dong with a Luminous Nose," first published in Laughable Lyrics in 1877. Known historic usages of this meaning include American Speech V (p. 390) in 1930, in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath in 1939 ("Tell 'em ya dong's growed sence you los' your eye."), and in a supplement to Eric Partridge's A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (p. 1124/2) in 1961 ("Three Canadian terms for 'penis'...are dink, dong, hammer.").