# Money wolves



## ThomasK

I bumped into the word 'geldwolven', lit. 'money wolves', in Dutch. I suppose you have your own words and metaphors for that. 

 You will understand what the word refers to: people who are only interested in money, and don't care about the rest. I_t was in an article regarding entrepreneurship and profit in healthcare, so you will understand what the word hinted at (but that issue is not the point here)._ And I apologize to the wolves of course, but I did not invent the word ! ;-)


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## ahmedcowon

In Egypt, it is كلب فلوس /kalb fluus/ (money dog)

I don't know if this expression is also used in other Arab countries or not.


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## ThomasK

I  suddenly thought of a 'loan shark' in English. I see the same kind of attitude. 

My focus is on how you describe that ruthless attitude, using a metaphor. It need not be an animal though.


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## apmoy70

Probably *«μεγαλοκαρχαρίας»* [meɣalokarxa'ri.as] (masc. & fem.) in Greek, lit. _big-shark_.


*«Καρχαρίας»* [karxa'ri.as] (masc.) --> _shark_ < Classical masc. noun *«καρχαρίας» kărkʰărías* --> _shark_, so called from its saw-like teeth < Classical adj. *«κάρχαρος, -ος, -ον» kắrkʰarŏs* (masc. & fem.), *kắrkʰarŏn* (neut.) --> _saw-like, animal with saw-like jagged teeth _metaph._ rough, rude,_ _one using rude language, harsh words_ (with unclear etymology).


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## ancalimon

Turkish:

paragöz (money+eye)


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## ThomasK

Finnish :kiskuri {noun}, koronkiskuri {noun}??? K_is-kuri _seems to be something like without-discipline, which might be too broad...


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## aruniyan

ThomasK said:


> Finnish :kiskuri {noun}, koronkiskuri {noun}???



in Tamil

_pana pEi_ - பணப்பேய் - Money *ghost* (more interested in money.) 
_pana muthalai_ - பண முதலை - Money *crocodile*, one who has excess money.


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## ThomasK

Another animal then... Thanks! (The funny thing is : Google Translate considers the parts together to be 'cash returns', but the combination 'cash + crocodile'...)

The Czech word 'lichvář' is just a usurer, so not a metaphor. That is not quite what I am looking for...


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## porkkanaraaste

ThomasK said:


> Finnish :kiskuri {noun}, koronkiskuri {noun}??? K_is-kuri _seems to be something like without-discipline, which might be too broad...



_Kiskuri _is someone who charges very high price. It comes from _kiskoa _'to pull (hard, violently)'. _Koronkiskuri _simply means usurer, from _korko _'interest' + _kiskuri_.

Someone who is only interested in money would be described with the adjective _rahanahne_, literally 'money-greedy'.


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## Maroseika

ThomasK said:


> The Czech word 'lichvář' is just a usurer, so not a metaphor.


This is the cognate of the English "loan", having come to Slavic languages from Gothic (*leiƕa  - a loan, lеiƕаn - to loan).


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## ThomasK

@P : the pulling is quite an interesting addition, and I suppose the _rahanahne _has some sound quality, making it nicer than the loan-pulling.

@M: thanks the addition, especially the link with Germanic.


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## ThomasK

I believe 'gold digger' would be a good translation in American...


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## SuperXW

I Chinese (Mandarin), I don't think we have an animal-related metaphor for greedy gold-diggers...
But we often say "color-wolf" to mean sexually-thirsty perverts. "Color" is a term related to "horny" and "porno".


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## Stoggler

ThomasK said:


> I  suddenly thought of a 'loan shark' in English. I see the same kind of attitude.



Loan shark is not the same thing - a loan shark is a crook who loans money out and charges extortionate rates of interest and has a habit of breaking the limbs of those who do not pay back.  Usually targeting the vulnerable and those unable to get usual formal lines of credit, loan sharks are very dodgy characters and act very much outside the law.


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## Stoggler

ThomasK said:


> I believe 'gold digger' would be a good translation in American...



American?  It's a term used throughout the English-speaking world, but it's usually (but not exclusively) used to refer to women who foster relationships just for money and/or status, with the implication being that there's a sexual element involved.  Although usually obsessed with money and its resultant status, the term is not equivalent to the Dutch geldwolf (judging by the OP) - I can't think of a straight English-language equivalent.


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## ThomasK

Thanks, S, but I think you do agree that those sharks and diggers do have something in common. But I quite admit: a loan shark is not simply a money wolf...


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## shawkat

Arabic:
عبد الدينار  (slave of dinar)
عبد الدرهم ( slave of dram)


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## cholandesa

Another option for English: Money grubber.


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## ThomasK

*Lånehaj *in Swedish, so I read now, literally a loan shark...


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## Welsh_Sion

*Cymraeg/Welsh

cribiniwr (n.m.) arian*
raker (of) money

*crafangwr (n.m.) arian*
clawer (of) money

*cribddeiliwr (n.m.)*
comb-trader

*Siôn (n.m.) l[l]ygad y geiniog**
John (of the) eye of the penny

*croengi (n.m.) caled*
skin-dog hard
'skinflint'

*hen gribin (n.m.)*
old rake


The use of 'rake' here is more in keeping with 'the garden implement' than 'a dissolute man'.
*
(* Doesn't reflect well on those of us sharing the same first name ... !) *

I think we are approaching an overlap with _miser, Scrooge etc., here ..._


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## ThomasK

What an imagination the Welsh have! 

But I agree: we should try not to mix up Scrooges and loan sharks (etc.), though some resemblance is of course indeniable.


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## Włoskipolak 72

ThomasK said:


> Another animal then... Thanks! (The funny thing is : Google Translate considers the parts together to be 'cash returns', but the combination 'cash + crocodile'...)
> 
> The Czech word 'lichvář' is just a usurer, so not a metaphor. That is not quite what I am looking for...





ThomasK said:


> I believe 'gold digger' would be a good translation in American...


In Polish   it works the same way *lichwiarz* = usurer or loan shark.
*naciągacz =*  gold digger (person who exploits a partner for his or her money?)


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## AutumnOwl

ThomasK said:


> *Lånehaj *in Swedish, so I read now, literally a loan shark...


There is also *börshaj*, a person who is doing business on the bourse/exchange, to earn money. It can be about short-term speculations, as well as a part of long-time investments.


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