Someone invited us to participate in a sportive event far away from our home country, and told us "The travel money is good for you and there will be prize money for the event". Does this mean that the exchange rate is good for us at the moment? Thanks for your help!
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Can you tell us how competent in English you consider your 'someone' to be? The expression 'X is good for you' is not usually used to cover possessions or money (especially a particular 'pot' of money); it's more normally used thus: Vegetables / milk / yoghurt // fresh air / sea air / a temperate climate // exercise / a brisk walk / swimming // [having] friends // a hobby // ... is/are good for you.– Edwin AshworthCommented Oct 10, 2014 at 9:41
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"Travel money" is not a standard phrase in English, and as @Edwin says, native speakers would find it a bit unusual/ but if we have to find an interpretation for it, then: the exchange-rate interpretation is insightful and would not have occurred to me; my best guess is your friend speaks English as a second language, and is suggesting the cost of travel is low (maybe he's offering you an inexpensive hotel rate, or suggesting that plane tickets from your county to his are inexpensive relative to other foreign participants). [continued]– Dan BronCommented Oct 10, 2014 at 10:53
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[continued] The idea being that the overall cost to you to make the trip will be relatively low, and ultimately might be offset or even negated by any prize money you receive for winning the tournament.– Dan BronCommented Oct 10, 2014 at 10:55
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2@Dan: I don't know if it's more a BrE usage, but "travel money" is familiar to me in the sense of "travel expenses" - a payment made to you by some organisation to cover your travel costs in respect of something they're involved in. Sometimes the actual fare is already paid by the organisation, and "travel money" just covers other incidentals such as meals. So my guess is the event organisers pay travel expenses to participants, and the guy is saying it's a generous allowance.– FumbleFingersCommented Oct 10, 2014 at 12:49
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2 Answers
Firstly, travel money is a common idiom for the expenses incurred in travelling. Secondly, there may be two possible interpretations of "is good for you".
On one hand, as you suggest it could mean that the exchange rate is beneficial at the moment.
On the other hand, the phrase is good is idiomatically used to mean that it is provided for you. It is possible your invitation is an all expenses paid trip.
I would check before you commit to anything.
answered Oct 10, 2014 at 14:04
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Just to reinterate in agreement with this answer: "is good for you" usually means "is beneficial to your health and wellbeing". "travel money" (in BrE) usually means incidental expenses due to travel (for food, trinkets, etc, excluding flight and accommodation). These two can be combined to make a very odd sentence, suggesting travel expenses are a health treatment. But, as Chenmunka says, "is good for you" has a rare secondary meaning "has been authorised". Though an unlcommon construction in most contexts, it does make more sense when applied to travel money!– DanCommented Oct 12, 2014 at 2:06
Travel money should be an adhoc allowance to meet (personal/professional) expenses.
I have heard of TA-DA, i.e., travel allowance-dearness allowance paid during official travel.
E.g. Sales/marketing staff are paid travel (TA-DA) allowances.
Though dictionary meaning of 'ta-da' has a different connotation
answered Oct 10, 2014 at 13:47
