Idioms for Money

Money Talks: Mastering Common English Idioms About Money

ByAmy_R_Nestor

Understanding idioms is crucial for mastering English, and idioms related to money are particularly important. These expressions add color and depth to conversations, allowing you to express financial situations and attitudes in a more nuanced and engaging way.

This article provides a comprehensive guide to money idioms, explaining their meanings, origins, and usage. Whether you’re an English language learner or a native speaker looking to enrich your vocabulary, this guide will equip you with the knowledge to confidently use and understand these common expressions.

This article is designed for English language learners of all levels, from beginner to advanced. It will also benefit native English speakers who want to expand their understanding of idiomatic expressions.

By the end of this article, you’ll be able to recognize, interpret, and use a variety of money idioms accurately and appropriately in different contexts.

Table of Contents

Definition of Money Idioms

Money idioms are phrases or expressions whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal meanings of the individual words. Instead, they carry a figurative or symbolic meaning related to financial matters. These idioms often reflect cultural attitudes and perceptions about money, work, and wealth. They add richness and color to the English language, making conversations more engaging and expressive.

Money idioms can be classified based on their function. Some describe the act of earning money, while others pertain to spending, saving, or experiencing financial hardship.

The context in which an idiom is used is crucial for understanding its intended meaning. For example, saying someone is “rolling in it” implies they are very wealthy, while saying they are “broke” means they have no money.

Understanding money idioms is essential for effective communication in English. They appear frequently in everyday conversations, business settings, and various forms of media.

Recognizing and using these idioms correctly will enhance your comprehension and fluency, allowing you to express yourself more naturally and accurately.

Structural Breakdown of Money Idioms

Money idioms, like all idioms, are fixed expressions, meaning their structure and wording are generally not flexible. Changing the words or word order can alter or destroy the idiom’s meaning.

They often contain verbs, nouns, adjectives, and prepositions that combine to create a specific figurative meaning related to money.

Many money idioms use metaphorical language, drawing comparisons between money and other concepts. For example, “money doesn’t grow on trees” uses the metaphor of growing trees to convey the idea that money is not easily obtained.

Other idioms rely on exaggeration or understatement to emphasize a financial situation, such as “to cost an arm and a leg” (very expensive) or “to live hand to mouth” (having just enough money to survive).

The structure of a money idiom can also influence its grammatical function within a sentence. Some idioms function as verbs (e.g., “to break the bank”), while others function as nouns (e.g., “nest egg”) or adjectives (e.g., “dirt cheap”).

Understanding the grammatical role of an idiom helps you use it correctly in different sentence structures. Mastering the structure of idioms is key to understanding their meaning and using them correctly.

Types and Categories of Money Idioms

Money idioms can be categorized based on the aspect of financial life they describe. Here are some common categories:

Idioms About Earning Money

These idioms describe the act of acquiring money through work or other means. They often reflect the effort and difficulty involved in earning a living.

Examples include “bring home the bacon,” “make a killing,” and “work your fingers to the bone.”

Idioms About Spending Money

These idioms relate to how money is used or spent. They can describe spending habits, the cost of items, or the value of money.

Examples include “burn a hole in your pocket,” “shell out,” and “tighten your belt.”

Idioms About Saving Money

These idioms focus on the act of accumulating and preserving money. They often emphasize the importance of being thrifty and planning for the future.

Examples include “save for a rainy day,” “squirrel away,” and “nest egg.”

Idioms About Financial Difficulty

These idioms describe situations of financial hardship or struggle. They often convey feelings of stress, anxiety, or desperation.

Examples include “broke,” “in the red,” and “live hand to mouth.”

Idioms About Financial Success

These idioms describe situations of wealth, prosperity, or financial achievement. They often convey feelings of satisfaction, security, or abundance.

Examples include “rolling in it,” “sitting pretty,” and “laughing all the way to the bank.”

Examples of Money Idioms

Here are some examples of money idioms, organized by category:

Earning Money Examples

The following table provides examples of idioms related to earning money, along with their meanings and example sentences.

Idiom Meaning Example Sentence
Bring home the bacon To earn a living; to provide for a family My father works long hours to bring home the bacon for our family.
Make a killing To earn a large profit quickly He made a killing on the stock market last year.
Work your fingers to the bone To work extremely hard She worked her fingers to the bone to pay off her student loans.
Sweat equity Effort put into a project that increases its value We put in a lot of sweat equity to renovate the old house.
Make ends meet To have just enough money to cover expenses It’s hard to make ends meet with the rising cost of living.
Earn a crust To earn a basic living He earns a crust as a street musician.
Make a quick buck To earn money easily and quickly, often through questionable means He tried to make a quick buck by selling counterfeit goods.
Be paid peanuts To receive very low wages The interns are paid peanuts for their hard work.
Cash in on To take advantage of a situation to make money The company tried to cash in on the popularity of the new trend.
Clean up To make a lot of money, often unexpectedly They cleaned up at the casino last night.
Golden handshake A large sum of money given to someone when they leave a company, especially when they are forced to leave He received a generous golden handshake when he retired.
Be in the money To be wealthy or have a lot of money Since he won the lottery, he’s really in the money.
Strike gold To discover or obtain something valuable, especially money The company struck gold with their new product.
Fill your boots To take as much as you want of something, especially money If you invest now, you can fill your boots with profit later.
Knock out a living To earn a living, often through manual labor He knocks out a living as a carpenter.
Paddle your own canoe To be independent and self-reliant in earning a living After losing his job, he decided to paddle his own canoe and start his own business.
Plough back (money) To reinvest profits into a business or project They decided to plough back their earnings into expanding the company.
Supplement your income To add to your regular income with extra work or earnings She supplements her income by freelancing in the evenings.
Turn a blind eye to To ignore something in order to gain financial benefit The company turned a blind eye to the environmental violations to save money.
Get your hands dirty To do manual or unpleasant work to earn money He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty to make a living.
On the payroll Employed by a company and receiving a salary She has been on the company’s payroll for over 20 years.
Make a fast buck To make money quickly, often through unethical means. He tried to make a fast buck by selling counterfeit goods.
Be on commission To earn money based on a percentage of sales Sales representatives are usually on commission.
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This table illustrates various ways people earn money, from working hard to taking advantage of opportunities. Understanding these idioms helps you grasp the nuances of discussions about employment and income.

Spending Money Examples

This table presents idioms related to spending money, highlighting different attitudes and situations.

Idiom Meaning Example Sentence
Burn a hole in your pocket To be eager to spend money His paycheck was burning a hole in his pocket, so he went shopping.
Shell out To pay a large sum of money We had to shell out a lot of money for the car repairs.
Tighten your belt To spend less money due to financial difficulties We need to tighten our belts because the company is losing money.
Foot the bill To pay for something My parents footed the bill for my college education.
Break the bank To cost too much money That vacation would break the bank, so we decided to stay home.
Rip-off Something that is much more expensive than it should be That restaurant is a complete rip-off; the food is overpriced and terrible.
Fork out To spend a lot of money, often unwillingly I had to fork out a fortune to get my car fixed.
Money to burn To have a lot of money to spend He acts like he has money to burn, buying expensive cars and jewelry.
Dip into savings To use money that you have saved We had to dip into our savings to pay for the emergency surgery.
Live beyond your means To spend more money than you earn They are living beyond their means, buying luxury items they can’t afford.
Go Dutch To split the cost of something, especially a meal Let’s go Dutch on the bill tonight.
Pay through the nose To pay a very high price We had to pay through the nose for the concert tickets.
Be strapped for cash To have very little money I’m a little strapped for cash this month.
Pick up the tab To pay the bill I’ll pick up the tab tonight.
Worth its weight in gold Extremely valuable or useful A good accountant is worth its weight in gold to a small business.
Splash out To spend a lot of money on something special We decided to splash out on a fancy dinner for our anniversary.
Chip in To contribute money to a common fund Everyone chipped in to buy a gift for the retiring colleague.
Cost a pretty penny To be expensive That new car cost a pretty penny.
Drain one’s bank account To use up all the money in one’s bank account The medical bills drained our bank account.
Go for a song To be sold very cheaply The old furniture went for a song at the auction.
Launder money To conceal the origins of illegally obtained money The criminals were caught trying to launder money through offshore accounts.
Pay off the mortgage To finish paying the loan on a property They finally managed to pay off the mortgage after 25 years.
Spend money like water To spend money extravagantly and carelessly He spends money like water and will soon be broke.

This table provides insight into various spending habits and financial situations, illustrating how idioms can express complex ideas about money management.

Saving Money Examples

The following table provides examples of idioms related to saving money, along with their meanings and example sentences.

Idiom Meaning Example Sentence
Save for a rainy day To save money for future emergencies It’s important to save for a rainy day in case you lose your job.
Squirrel away To hide or save something for the future She squirrels away a little money each month for her retirement.
Nest egg A sum of money saved for the future They have a substantial nest egg to retire comfortably.
Put money aside To save money regularly We put money aside each month for our children’s education.
Cut corners To save money by doing something cheaply or inadequately The company cut corners on safety to save money.
A penny saved is a penny earned Saving money is just as valuable as earning it Remember, a penny saved is a penny earned, so try to be thrifty.
Stash away To hide or store something, especially money He used to stash away money in a coffee tin.
Live within your means To spend only as much money as you earn It’s important to live within your means and avoid debt.
Keep something for a rainy day To save something, especially money, for a time when it might be needed I always try to keep something for a rainy day.
Put by for a rainy day To save money for a time when it might be needed They’ve put by a little for a rainy day.
On a shoestring budget Operating with very little money The film was made on a shoestring budget.
Salt away To save money gradually over a period of time She had managed to salt away a considerable sum of money.
Economize on something To reduce the amount of money spent on something We need to economize on our electricity bill.
Be careful with your money To manage money wisely and avoid unnecessary spending You need to be careful with your money if you want to retire early.
Invest in something To put money into something with the expectation of gaining a profit It’s wise to invest in a diverse portfolio of stocks and bonds.
Tighten the purse strings To be more careful about spending money The government needs to tighten the purse strings to reduce the national debt.
Watch every penny To be very careful about spending money When you’re unemployed, you have to watch every penny.
Scrimp and save To save money by spending as little as possible They had to scrimp and save to afford a new house.
Bargain hunt To look for goods at a low price She loves to bargain hunt at the local flea market.
Be a spendthrift Someone who spends money wastefully He used to be a spendthrift, but now he’s learned the value of saving.
Go on the cheap To do something inexpensively or with minimal spending We decided to go on the cheap for our vacation and stayed in a budget hotel.
Skimp on something To provide less of something than is necessary or normal in order to save money They skimp on food to save money.
Budget for something To plan how much money you will spend on something We need to budget for our monthly expenses.
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This table illustrates the importance of saving and planning for the future. Understanding these idioms can encourage better financial habits.

Financial Difficulty Examples

This table provides examples of idioms related to financial difficulty, along with their meanings and example sentences.

Idiom Meaning Example Sentence
Broke Having no money I’m broke until my next paycheck.
In the red Operating at a loss; owing money The company is in the red due to poor sales.
Live hand to mouth Having just enough money to survive They live hand to mouth, barely able to afford food and rent.
Hard up Having very little money He’s been hard up since he lost his job.
On the breadline Extremely poor; living in poverty Many families are on the breadline due to the economic crisis.
Skint Having no money (British slang) I’m completely skint after that shopping spree.
Down and out Having no money, a job, or a place to live The homeless shelter helps people who are down and out.
Penniless Having no money at all He arrived in the city penniless and had to start from scratch.
Go bankrupt To be declared legally unable to pay your debts The company went bankrupt after years of financial losses.
Struggle to make ends meet To have difficulty paying for basic necessities Many families struggle to make ends meet in this economy.
Be in dire straits To be in a very difficult or dangerous situation The company is in dire straits and may have to close down.
Be on your uppers To have very little money He’s been on his uppers since he lost his job.
Be cleaned out To have all your money taken away He was cleaned out at the casino last night.
Owe a fortune To have a lot of debt They owe a fortune on their mortgage.
Be flat broke To have absolutely no money I’m flat broke until payday.
Go to the wall To fail or be destroyed because of financial problems Many small businesses went to the wall during the recession.
Be in the poorhouse To be very poor If we keep spending like this, we’ll be in the poorhouse soon.
Be short on cash To not have enough money I’m a little short on cash this month.
Can’t make head nor tail of Unable to understand something, especially financial matters I can’t make head nor tail of these financial reports.
Be skating on thin ice To be in a risky or precarious situation, especially financially The company is skating on thin ice with its current debt levels.
Feel the pinch To experience financial hardship Many families are starting to feel the pinch of rising prices.
Have empty pockets To have no money After paying all the bills, I have empty pockets.
Go bust To become bankrupt The company went bust after losing its biggest client.

This table highlights the various ways people can experience financial struggles, emphasizing the importance of financial planning and caution.

Financial Success Examples

The following table provides examples of idioms related to financial success, along with their meanings and example sentences.

Idiom Meaning Example Sentence
Rolling in it Very wealthy; having a lot of money Since he sold his company, he’s been rolling in it.
Sitting pretty In a comfortable or advantageous position, especially financially After paying off her mortgage, she’s sitting pretty.
Laughing all the way to the bank Making a lot of money easily He invested in the right company and is now laughing all the way to the bank.
In the black Operating at a profit; having money The company is finally in the black after years of losses.
Strike it rich To become wealthy suddenly He struck it rich when he won the lottery.
Made of money Very wealthy He acts like he’s made of money, buying expensive things all the time.
Have deep pockets To have a lot of money available The corporation has deep pockets and can afford the lawsuit.
Live in the lap of luxury To live in great comfort and wealth They live in the lap of luxury with servants and a private jet.
Be born with a silver spoon in your mouth To be born into a wealthy family He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and never had to work a day in his life.
Have money to burn To have a lot of money to spend She acts like she has money to burn, buying designer clothes and jewelry.
On easy street In a state of financial comfort and security After inheriting a fortune, they’re finally on easy street.
Have a Midas touch To be successful in making money in everything you do He has a Midas touch and turns every business venture into a success.
Be worth a fortune To have assets that are worth a lot of money Her art collection is worth a fortune.
Have more money than you can shake a stick at To have a great deal of money They have more money than they can shake a stick at.
Be flush with cash To have a lot of cash available The company is flush with cash after the successful IPO.
Be financially secure To have enough money to live comfortably without worrying After years of hard work, they are finally financially secure.
Be quids in To be in a good financial position (British slang) He’s quids in after winning the bet.
Be up to your ears in money To have a lot of money Since he sold his company, he’s up to his ears in money.
Have a gold mine To have a source of great wealth or profit Their new product is a gold mine.
Live like a king To live very comfortably and luxuriously After winning the lottery, they started to live like kings.
Make a pile To earn a lot of money He made a pile in the stock market.
Be well-heeled To be wealthy The well-heeled residents of the neighborhood often donate to charity.
Be rolling in dough To be very rich After his invention became a hit, he was rolling in dough.
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This table showcases the various ways people can achieve financial success, highlighting the different levels of wealth and comfort that can be attained.

Usage Rules for Money Idioms

Using money idioms correctly requires attention to context and grammatical structure. Here are some key usage rules:

  • Context is crucial: Understand the situation and the intended meaning. Idioms can have different connotations depending on the context.
  • Grammatical correctness: Ensure the idiom fits grammatically into the sentence. Some idioms function as verbs, nouns, or adjectives, and must be used accordingly.
  • Word order: Do not change the word order of the idiom, as this can alter or destroy its meaning.
  • Tense and agreement: Adjust the tense and verb agreement to match the sentence’s subject and time frame (e.g., “He is bringing home the bacon” vs. “He brought home the bacon”).
  • Audience awareness: Be mindful of your audience. Some idioms may be unfamiliar to non-native speakers or specific to certain regions.

Understanding these rules will help you use money idioms accurately and effectively, enhancing your communication skills and making your English sound more natural and fluent.

Common Mistakes with Money Idioms

Using idioms incorrectly is a common mistake among English language learners. Here are some frequent errors and how to avoid them:

Incorrect Correct Explanation
“He is bringing the potatoes home.” “He is bringing home the bacon.” Using the wrong words in the idiom.
“She tightened her stomach.” “She tightened her belt.” Misremembering the correct idiom.
“The bank was broken by the cost.” “The cost broke the bank.” Incorrect word order.
“Saving for a sunny day.” “Saving for a rainy day.” Confusing similar-sounding words.
“He is rolling in the dough.” “He is rolling in it.” or “He is rolling in dough.” Using part of the idiom, when dough can be used but it is more common to omit it.

By being aware of these common mistakes and practicing correct usage, you can avoid errors and improve your fluency with money idioms.

Practice Exercises

Test your understanding of money idioms with these exercises:

  1. Question 1: Complete the sentence: “They had to _______ to pay for the emergency repairs.”
    • A) tighten their shoes
    • B) shell out
    • C) save for a sunny day

    Answer: B) shell out

  2. Question 2: What does it mean to “bring home the bacon”?
    • A) to cook breakfast
    • B) to earn a living
    • C) to buy groceries

    Answer: B) to earn a living

  3. Question 3: Complete the sentence: “After winning the lottery, he was _______.”
    • A) in the red
    • B) broke
    • C) rolling in it

    Answer: C) rolling in it

  4. Question 4: What does it mean to “save for a rainy day”?
    • A) to prepare for bad weather
    • B) to save money for future emergencies
    • C) to buy an umbrella

    Answer: B) to save money for future emergencies

  5. Question 5: Complete the sentence: “The company is _______ due to poor sales.”
    • A) in the black
    • B) in the red
    • C) green with envy

    Answer: B) in the red

  6. Question 6: What does it mean to “live hand to mouth”?
    • A) to eat with your hands
    • B) to have just enough money to survive
    • C) to be generous

    Answer: B) to have just enough money to survive

  7. Question 7: Complete the sentence: “That new car _______.”
    • A) cost a pretty penny
    • B) saved a pretty penny
    • C) found a pretty penny

    Answer: A) cost a pretty penny

  8. Question 8: What does it mean to “break the bank”?

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