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(Canada) a Canadian hundred-dollar bill, named after the former Prime Minister featured on it
What does "Robert Borden" mean in Canadian slang?
The structure is a proper noun (a person's name) used as a metonym for currency, referring to the Prime Minister whose portrait appears on the bill. It is used in Canada to describe a hundred dollar bill, which features the image of Sir Robert Borden, Canada's eighth Prime Minister. People typically say "Can you break a Robert Borden?" or "I found a Robert Borden in my coat pocket." The term originated in Canadian slang as part of a tradition of nicknaming bills after the figures on them (similar to "a Queen" for the $20 bill featuring Queen Elizabeth II), and remains in casual use.
