adj. phr. (American commercial).—Reckless, hazardous, unsound: orig. applied to banking enterprises of doubtful (if of no worse) character: cf. BLUE-PUP, RED-DOG, etc. [BARTLETT: A bank in Michigan had a large vignette on its notes representing a panther, familiarly called a WILD-CAT. This bank failed, a large amount of its notes were in circulation, which were denominated WILD-CAT money, and the bank issuing them the WILD-CAT bank. Other banks stopped payment soon after, and the term became general in Michigan, to denote banking institutions of an unsound character.] Hence WILD-CAT CURRENCY, SCHEMES, etc.
1842. CAROLINE M. KIRKLAND, Forest Life, I. xi. We had to part with a part of our land to get something to pay taxes on the rest; and then we took our pay in WILD-CAT MONEY, that turned to waste paper before we got it off our hands.
1858. Baltimore Sun, 8 July. Certain it is that we are overrun with a WILD-CAT CURRENCY.
1877. Galaxy, 632. When the Yankee mind stoops to criminal pursuits, it is likely to manifest itself in the way of bank forgeries, embezzlements, or the formation of petroleum bubbles or WILD-CAT BANKING institutions.
1896. LILLARD, Poker Stories, 56. He went to the bartender and got a lot of WILD-CAT MONEY, wrapped it around with a couple of twenties, and put some fives in the middle.
1901. Free Lance, 9 Feb., 471. 1. Old ladies sell out of Consols to raise money with which to gamble in a WILD-CAT mining company, and end as dependents on the charity of their friends.
