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Idiom Category: Money

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A day late and a dollar short: (USA) If something is a day late and a dollar short, it is too little, too late.
A fool and his money are soon parted: This idiom means that people who aren't careful with their money spend it quickly. 'A fool and his money are easily parted' is an alternative form of the idiom.
A penny for your thoughts: This idiom is used as a way of asking someone what they are thinking about.
A penny saved is a penny earned: This means that we shouldn't spend or waste money, but try to save it.
A pretty penny: If something costs a pretty penny, it is very expensive.
All that glitters is not gold: This means that appearances can be deceptive and things that look or sound valuable can be worthless. ('All that glistens is not gold' is an alternative.)
At a drop of a dime: (USA) If someone will do something at the drop of a dime, they will do it instantly, without hesitation.
Bent as a nine bob note: (UK) A person who is as bent as a nine bob note is dishonest. The reference comes from pre-decimalisation in UK (1971), when a ten shilling (bob) note was valid currency but no such note as nine shillings existed.
Bet your bottom dollar: (USA) If you can bet your bottom dollar on something, you can be absolutely sure about it.
Big bucks: If someone is making big bucks, they are making a lot of money.
Blank cheque: If you are given a blank cheque, you are allowed to use as much money as you need for a project.
Broke as a joke and it ain't funny: This idiom in my opinion describes how it's not funny to be without a cent and just uses broke and joke as rhyming words that help explain this idiom a lot better.
Cash cow: A product, business, etc, that generates a continuous flow of money or a high proportion of overall profits is a cash cow.
Cash in your chips: If you cash in your chips, you sell something to get what profit you can because you think its value is going to fall. It can also mean 'to die'.
Cheap at half the price: If something's cheap at half the price, it's very cheap indeed.
Cut your losses: If you cut your losses, you avoid losing any more money than you already have by getting out of a situation before matters worsen.
Daylight robbery: If you are overcharged or underpaid, it is a daylight robbery; open, unfair and hard to prevent. Rip-off has a similar meaning.
Dime a dozen: (USA) If something is a dime a dozen, it is extremely common, possibly too common.
Dollars for doughnuts: (USA) If something is dollars for doughnuts, it is a sure bet or certainty.
Don't take any wooden nickels: (USA) This idiom is used to advise people not to be cheated or ripped off.
Drop a dime: (USA) If you drop a dime, you inform the police about someone's illegal activities.
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise: It means that sleeping well and not staying up late will help you out physically and financially.
Earn a living: To make money Ex: We need to get a good job to earn a decent living.
Feel the pinch: If someone is short of money or feeling restricted in some other way, they are feeling the pinch.
Foot the bill: The person who foots the bill pays the bill for everybody.
For my money: This idiom means 'in my opinion'.
From rags to riches: Someone who starts life very poor and makes a fortune goes from rags to riches.
Garbage fee: A garbage fee is a charge that has no value and doesn't provide any real service.
Give someone a run for their money: If you can give someone a run for the money, you are as good, or nearly as good, as they are at something.
Go bust: If a company goes bust, it goes bankrupt.
Golden handshake: A golden handshake is a payment made to someone to get them to leave their job.
Golden rule: The golden rule is the most essential or fundamental rule associated with something. Originally, it was not a general reference to an all purpose first rule applicable to many groups or protocols, but referred to a verse in the Bible about treating people they way you would want them to treat you, which was considered the First Rule of behavior towards all by all.
Golden touch: Someone with a golden touch can make money from or be successful at anything they do.
Good as gold: If children are as good as gold, they behave very well.
Heart of gold: Someone with a heart of gold is a genuinely kind and caring person.
If I had a nickel for every time: (USA) When someone uses this expression, they mean that the specific thing happens a lot. It is an abbreviation of the statement 'If I had a nickel for every time that happened, I would be rich'
Ill-gotten gains: Ill-gotten gains are profits or benefits that are made either illegally or unfairly.
In for a penny, in for a pound: If something is worth doing then it is a case of in for a penny, in for a pound, which means that when gambling or taking a chance, you might as well go the whole way and take all the risks, not just some.
It cost the earth: If something costs the earth, it is very expensive indeed.
Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves: (UK) If you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves, meaning that if someone takes care not to waste small amounts of money, they will accumulate capital. ('Look after the pence and the pounds will look after themselves' is an alternative form of this idiom.)
Made of money: If you are made of money, you have a lot of money.
Make a killing: If you make a killing, you do something that makes you a lot of money.
Make a mint: If someone is making a mint, they are making a lot of money.
Make ends meet: If somebody finds it hard to make ends meet, they have problems living on the money they earn.
Make money hand over fist: If you make money hand over fist, you make a lot of money without any difficulty.
Mint condition: If something is in mint condition, it is in perfect condition.
Money burns a hole in your pocket: If someone has money burning a hole in their pocket, they are eager to spend it, normally in a wasteful manner.
Money doesn`t grow on trees: This means that you have to work to earn money; it doesn't come easily or without effort.
Money for jam: If something's money for jam, it's a very easy way of making money.
Money for old rope: (UK) If something's money for old rope, it's a very easy way of making money.
Money laundering: If people launder money, they get money made illegally into the mainstream so that it is believed to be legitimate and clean.
Money makes many things: This means that money is important.
Money talks: This means that people can convey many messages with money, and many things can be discovered about people by observing the way they use their money.
Money to burn: If someone is very rich, they have money to burn.
Nickel tour: (USA) If someone gives you a nickel tour, they show you around a place. ('Fifty-cent tour' is also used.)
Not have two pennies to rub together: If someone hasn't got two pennies to rub together, they are very poor indeed.
Not worth a red cent: (USA) If something is not worth a red cent, it has no value.
On the money: If you are on the money, you are right about something.
One man's trash is another man's treasure: What is useless to one person might be valuable to another.
Other side of the coin: The other side of the coin is a different, usually opposing, view of a situation. ('Flip side of the coin' is an alternative.)
Out of your own pocket: If someone does something out of their own pocket, they pay all the expenses involved.
Pay on the nail: If you pay on the nail, you pay promptly in cash.
Pay the piper: When you pay the piper, you have to accept the consequences of something that you have done wrong or badly.
Pay your dues: If you have paid your dues, you have had your own struggles and earned your place or position.
Penny ante: (USA) Something that is very unimportant is penny ante.
Penny pincher: A penny pincher is a mean person or who is very frugal.
Penny wise, pound foolish: Someone who is penny wise, pound foolish can be very careful or mean with small amounts of money, yet wasteful and extravagant with large sums.
Pick up the tab: A person who pays for everyone picks up the tab.
Pin money: (UK) If you work for pin money, you work not because you need to but because it gives you money for extra little luxuries and treats.
Pink pound: (UK) In the UK, the pink pound is an idiom for the economic power of gay people.
Quick buck: If you make some money easily, you make a quick buck.
Quids in: (UK) If somebody is quids in, they stand to make a lot of money from something.
Rags to riches: Someone who starts life very poor and becomes rich goes from rags to riches.
Rich man's family: A rich man's family consists of one son and one daughter.
Rolling in money: If someone has a lot of money, more than they could possibly need, they are rolling in money.
Rough diamond: A rough diamond is a person who might be a bit rude but who is good underneath it all.
Scot free: If someone escapes scot free, they avoid payment or punishment. 'Scot' is an old word for a tax, so it originally referred to avoiding taxes, though now has a wider sense of not being punished for someone that you have done.
Short-change: If you are short-changed, someone cheats you of money or doesn't give you full value for something.
Show me the money: When people say this, they either want to know how much they will be paid for something or want to see evidence that something is valuable or worth paying for.
Sixty-four-thousand-dollar-question: The sixty-four-thousand-dollar-question is the most important question that can be asked about something.
Sound as a pound: (UK) if something is as sound as a pound, it is very good or reliable.
Spend a penny: (UK) This is a euphemistic idiom meaning to go to the toilet.
Spend like a sailor: Someone who spends their money wildly spends like a sailor.
Spoil the ship for a ha'pworth of tar: (UK) If someone spoils the ship for a ha'pworth (halfpenny's worth) of tar, they spoil something completely by trying to make a small economy.
Square Mile: (UK) The Square Mile is the City, the financial area of London.
Ten a penny: (UK) If something is ten a penny, it is very common. ("Two a penny" is also used.)
That and 50 cents will buy you a cup of coffee: (USA) This is used to describe something that is deemed worthless. "He's got a Ph.D. in Philosophy." "So? That and 50 cents will buy you a cup of coffee."
The penny dropped: When the penny drops, someone belatedly understands something that everyone else has long since understood.
Turn up like a bad penny: If someone turns up like a bad penny, they go somewhere where they are not wanted.
Two cents: If you add or throw in your two cents, you give your opinion on an issue.
Two sides of the same coin: If two things are two sides of the same coin, there is much difference between them.
You get what you pay for: Something that is very low in price is not usually of very good quality.

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Page last modified: 6 August, 2009 20:29