Money Idioms

almighty dollar

- money when it is viewed as more important than anything else

The man spent most of his life chasing the almighty dollar.

as phony as a three-dollar bill

- phony, not genuine

The man who was asking for donations for the charity was as phony as a three-
dollar bill.

as sound as a dollar

- very secure and dependable

The company president believes that his business is as sound as a dollar.

at a premium

- at a higher price than usual because of something special

The tickets for the final basketball game were selling at a premium.

at all costs

- at any expense of time or effort or money

back on one`s feet

- to return to good financial health

My sister is back on her feet after losing her job last year.

balance the books/accounts

- to make sure that all money is accounted for by using generally accepted accounting
methods

The small business owner works very hard to balance the books of her company.

beyond one's means

- more than one can afford

The young man was living beyond his means before he got his first job.

bottom dollar

- one`s last dollar

The man spent his bottom dollar on some new clothes to wear for his job interview.

break even

- to have income equal to expenses

Our company was able to break even after only six months of operation.

break the bank

- to win all the money at a casino gambling table, to use all of one's money

The man broke the bank at the casino and walked away with much money.
bring home the bacon

- to earn the family living, to earn a salary

I have been working hard all month bringing home the bacon for my family.

burn a hole in one`s pocket

- to stimulate someone to spend money quickly

The money was burning a hole in the man's pocket when he decided to go to the
casino.

cash-and-carry

- selling something for cash only and with no delivery

We were able to get a good price on a sofa in a cash-and-carry deal at the furniture
store.

closefisted (with money)

- to be very stingy with money

The man is closefisted with money and will not spend it.

control the purse strings

- to be in charge of the money in a business or a household

My sister controls the purse strings in her family.

cost an arm and a leg

- to cost a lot of money

My new television cost an arm and a leg.

- to reduce one's losses of money or something else

The owners decided to sell the soccer team in order to cut their losses.

easy money

- money that you do not need to work hard to get

I was able to make some easy money from my job during the summer.

face value

- the value or price printed on a stamp or bond or paper money

The face value of the stamp was very low but it was worth a lot of money.

a fast buck

- money that is earned quickly and easily (and sometimes dishonestly)

The company tried to make a fast buck on the property but actually they lost a lot
of money.

feel like a million dollars/bucks

- to feel wonderful, to feel well and healthy

Although I have been sick for a few weeks I feel like a million dollars today.

flat broke

- to have no money at all

I am flat broke and do not have enough money to pay my rent.

- if a person acts unwisely with money he or she will soon lose it

A fool and his money are soon parted and when the young man got the money from
his father he soon spent it.

foot the bill

- to pay for something

My sister will foot the bill for her daughter's education if she decides to go to
university.

for peanuts

- for very little money

The man had no money and was willing to work for peanuts.

from rags to riches

- from poverty to wealth

The man went from rags to riches with his hard work.

get along on a shoestring

- to be able to live on very little money

The woman was forced to get along on a shoestring when she was a student.

give (someone) a blank check

- to let someone act as they want or as they think is necessary (like a check that has the
amount left blank)

The city gave the new department a blank check to try and solve the homeless
problem.
go broke

- to lose all of one`s money, to become bankrupt

My uncle started a company last year but it quickly went broke.

grease (someone`s) palm

- to pay for a special favor or for extra help, to bribe someone

We had to grease the palm of the hotel manager to get a room.

have an itchy/itching palm

- to ask for tips or money

The hotel clerk has an itchy palm and he is always asking for money.

have money to burn

- to have very much money, to have more money than is needed

My aunt has money to burn and she is always travelling somewhere.

have one's hand in the till

- to be stealing money from a company or an organization

The clerk had her hand in the till so we decided to fire her.

have sticky fingers

- to be a thief

The new employee has sticky fingers and many things in the store have
disappeared.
(not) have two cents to rub together

- to not have much money

My friend does not have two cents to rub together and he is always broke.

He who pays the piper calls the tune.

- the person who pays for something has control over how the money is used

He who pays the piper calls the tune and the owner of the sports team can decide
who will play on the team.

hit the jackpot

- to make a lot of money suddenly (usually from gambling)

We hit the jackpot at the casino and came home with much money.

in the red

- to be unprofitable, to be losing money, to be in debt

The company has been in the red for several months now and may soon go
bankrupt.

keep the wolf from the door

- to earn enough money to maintain oneself at a minimal level of existence

My job does not pay very well but it is enough to keep the wolf from the door.

live beyond one's means

- to spend more money than you can afford

The girl is living beyond her means and will soon have some serious financial
problems.
live within one's means

- to spend no more money than one has.

I try very hard to live within my means so that I do not have any financial pressure.

make a living

- to earn enough money to live

The man works hard to make a living and support his family.

make ends meet

- to have enough money to pay one`s bills and other expenses

I have been having trouble making ends meet because the rent for my apartment is
very high.

make good money

- to earn a large amount of money

My friend makes good money at his new job.

money doesn't grow on trees

- money is valuable and you should not waste it

Money doesn't grow on trees and it is necessary to work hard and manage it well.

money is no object

- it does not matter how much something costs

Money is no object and I plan to stay in the best hotels during my holiday.
money is the root of all evil

- money causes most problems or wrongdoings in life

Many people believe that money is the root of all evil and that it causes people
many problems.

money talks

- money gives one the power to get or do what he or she wants

Money talks and when I go to a restaurant with my rich uncle we always get very
good service.

on a shoestring

- with little money to spend, on a very low budget

My cousin started his business on a shoestring but now it is very successful.

pay an arm and a leg for (something)

- to pay a high price for something

I paid an arm and a leg for my car but I am not very happy with it.

pay the piper

- to face the results of one's actions, to be punished for something

The city government was forced to pay the piper after many years of bad
management.
The student wasted most of the term playing. He was forced to pay the piper when
the professor assigned much work at the end of the term.

a penny saved is a penny earned

- saving money by not spending it is the same as earning money from working

A penny saved is a penny earned and it is better to be thrifty sometimes than to

- a small bank or container for saving money that is sometimes in the shape of a pig

The small boy saved much money in his piggy bank.

rain check

- a promise to repeat an invitation at a later date

I decided to take a rain check and will go to the restaurant with my friend another
time.