hard up/broke

[GUEST2008]

Hi

Is the meaning of "hard up" the same as "broke"?

I'm hard up/I'm broke


Thanks

 

[emsr2d2]

In my opinion, they are slightly different. "Hard up" means short of money, not having much money but still having some. "Broke" means having no money.

 

[FreeToyInside]

In my opinion, they are slightly different. "Hard up" means short of money, not having much money but still having some. "Broke" means having no money.

I agree. I think it could mean no money, but doesn't imply that. It implies you just don't have enough money for what you need. Also, 'I'm broke' is always referencing money, but you can be hard up for things other than money. I've heard of being hard up for money, a job, friendship/friends, love, sex, a cigarette, and maybe a few other things.


(not a teacher, just a language lover)

 

[BobK]

:up: There's an idiom meaning' hard up' - which I feel is less and less used now; perhaps its only used in some dialects of Br Eng: 'to be on your uppers'. The uppers are the top part of a shoe. If you wear through the sole you are walking on your uppers (the edges of the uppers that wrap round under the foot).

b
PS I'm not sure that this is common enough to deserve a place in the UE idioms list. With the advent of welded soles, it's less meaningful anyway. When you wear through a sole you're 'on your socks' (not an idiom ;-)). The UE list does have On the ropes - Idiom Definition - UsingEnglish.com (a boxing related metaphor, and not referring just to money) and On the skids - Idiom Definition - UsingEnglish.com .

PPS Rhyming Slang: 'Boracic' (for 'Boracic Lint'/skint). 'Skint' is more informal than 'broke' (which itself is fairly informal).