A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

sign someone in • sign someone on
sign someone in —register a person; record smb.’s arrival or
admittance: Members must sign in any guests that they bring
to the club.
sign someone on —employ a person for a job (as by signing
a contract): The men can only be “signed on” in the presence
of the Board of Trade officer.
Silicon Alley • Silicon Valley
Silicon Alley —(New York City) a nickname for an area in
lower Manhattan, where there is a large concentration of high-
tech firms (a pun on Silicon Valley): The success of Silicon
Alley has had less to do with the traditional technology-ori-
ented policies … and more to do with the strengths of New
York’s business sector.
Silicon Valley —the geographical area in northern California,
where there is a large concentration of high-tech companies:
The semiconductor industry in the U.S. did not locate itself
– 297 –
Silicon Alley

---

close to San Francisco city but miles away in the Silicon Val-
ley.
silly money • smart money
silly money —
1
. a ridiculously large sum of money: Buying
a house in central London will set you back close to a million
quid — it’s just silly money. 2. (rare) a ridiculously small sum
of money: Try the new helios range of binoculars, they are
just silly money for what you get.
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase mad money—(coll.) 
1
. money for use in an emergency
(especially carried by a girl out on a date): He “interviewed” her
first date to determine “his intentions for his granddaughter,”
then gave her “mad money.” 2. money saved up for personal use
(while on holiday, etc.) and spent unpredictably: As long as my
mad money lasts, I’m going to have a good time.
smart money —(U.S. coll.) 
1
. money bet or invested by smb.
with expert knowledge: In referring to money wagered by per-
sons with good tips or information, the term used is “smart
money.” 2. said of smart or knowledgeable people: Germany
has declared war on Russia, and the smart money says that
this is only the beginning.