This document provides definitions for common English idioms related to money and finances. Some key idioms explained include "tighten your belt" which means to spend carefully due to lack of funds, "born with a silver spoon in one's mouth" meaning born into wealth, and "on the breadline" referring to living in poverty with barely enough income to survive. Other idioms defined relate to experiencing financial losses, ongoing sources of income, small amounts of money, very expensive costs, struggling to stay afloat, wealth, influence that comes with money, and spending large sums.
2. If you need to tighten your belt, you must spend your money carefully. "Another bill? I'll have to tighten my belt this month!" Tighten your belt.
3. Born with a silver spoon in one's mouth A person who is born with a silver spoon in their mouth is born into a very rich family. "She never has to worry about money; she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth."
4. People who live on the breadline have a very low income or barely enough money to survive. "Due to the recent crisis, there are more people on the breadline than ever before." On the breadline
5. If you burn your fingers (or get your fingers burnt), you suffer financially as a result of foolish behaviour. "Jack got his fingers burnt playing on the stock market." Burn your fingers
6. A product or service which is a regular source of income for a company is called a cash cow. "His latest invention turned out to be a real cash cow." A cash cow
7. An amount of money considered small or unimportant is called chicken feed. "I got a job during the holidays but the pay was chicken feed." Chicken feed
8. If something costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive! "The house cost us an arm and a leg, but we have no regrets." Cost an arm and a leg.
9. To keep one's head above water means to try to survive by staying out of debt, for example a small business. For years the company struggled to keep its head above water. Keep your head above water.
10. A person who is made of money is very rich and can buy whatever they want. "Hey! I can't afford that much! I'm not made of money!" Made of money
11. Money talks means that people with a lot of money have power and influence. Money talks
12. If you splash out on something, you spend a lot of money on it. "Sarah's parents really splashed out on her wedding." Splash out
13. This expression refers to not paying for something that you can obtain for free.(Sometimes used to refer to a decision not to marry when you can have the benefits of marriage without any commitment.) Rent is high so Bobby is still living with his parents. He says: Why buy a cow when you can get milk for free? Why buy a cow when you can get milk for free?
14. If a person robs Peter to pay Paul, they pay one debt with money borrowed from somewhere else, thus creating another debt. "David borrowed money from a friend to cover his overdraft; a typical case of robbing Peter to pay Paul!" Rob Peter to pay Paul
15. If something costs you a pretty penny, it costs you a lot of money. "That new car must have cost him a pretty penny!" Pretty penny
16. If you throw money at something, you try to solve a problem by spending money on it, without using any other methods. "The refugee problem cannot be solved just by throwing money at it." Throw money at something