Understanding Money Idioms, Sayings, Phrases, And Expressions

Money idioms have a way of making our conversations richer, adding a bit of gold and sparkle to our words in ways that truly pay off.

Here, you’re about to dive into a vault of money idioms, each with its own unique value, fascinating origin, synonyms, and example sentences.

Whether you’re curious about phrases like “break the bank” or want to understand what it means to “go for broke,” this guide is your golden ticket to a more engaging and colorful vocabulary.

Perfect for language lovers, writers, or anyone looking to add a bit of financial flair to their conversations, our collection of money idioms will invest your speech with priceless imagery and depth.

Get ready to strike it rich in the world of money idioms and uncover the stories behind these expressions that keep our language flush with cash, creativity, and wit!

Common Money Idioms & Expressions – Meaning, Origin, and Example Sentence

Break The Bank

Synonym: Spend too much
Meaning: To cost or spend more money than one can afford
Origin: This idiom originates from gambling, where a player wins more money than the casino has available, thus “breaking the bank.”
Example Sentence: Buying that new car would break the bank, so I decided to look for something more affordable.

A Dime A Dozen

Synonym: Common, cheap
Meaning: Something that is very common and has little value
Origin: This phrase dates back to the 1800s when goods like eggs or apples could be bought for ten cents a dozen, making them inexpensive and plentiful.
Example Sentence: Good ideas are a dime a dozen, but execution is what really matters.

Penny Pincher

Synonym: Miser, frugal
Meaning: A person who is very careful about spending money
Origin: This idiom likely comes from the idea of “pinching” pennies, meaning to hold on to money tightly and not spend it.
Example Sentence: My uncle is such a penny pincher; he never spends money on anything unnecessary.

Cash Cow

Synonym: Profitable asset
Meaning: A product, business, or service that consistently generates a lot of money
Origin: This idiom comes from the farming practice where cows produce milk consistently, symbolizing a steady source of income.
Example Sentence: The smartphone division is the company’s cash cow, bringing in millions of dollars each year.

In The Red

Synonym: In debt
Meaning: To be in debt or losing money
Origin: The phrase comes from traditional accounting practices where financial losses were recorded in red ink.
Example Sentence: After the bad investment, the company was in the red for the entire quarter.

In The Black

Synonym: Profitable, solvent
Meaning: To be making a profit or have a positive financial balance
Origin: This idiom also comes from accounting, where profits are recorded in black ink.
Example Sentence: Thanks to the holiday sales, the store was finally in the black by the end of the year.

Pay Through The Nose

Synonym: Overpay
Meaning: To pay an excessive amount of money for something
Origin: The exact origin is unclear, but it may refer to a heavy tax imposed by the Danes on the Irish in the 9th century, which was metaphorically like “paying through the nose.”
Example Sentence: We had to pay through the nose for concert tickets because they sold out so quickly.

Nest Egg

Synonym: Savings, reserve
Meaning: A sum of money saved for the future, particularly for retirement
Origin: The idiom likely originates from the practice of placing a real or artificial egg in a hen’s nest to encourage her to lay more eggs, symbolizing the accumulation of wealth.
Example Sentence: She’s been building a nest egg for years, hoping to retire comfortably by 60.

Golden Parachute

Synonym: Exit package
Meaning: A large financial compensation or benefits given to an executive if they are dismissed from a company
Origin: This idiom became popular in the 1980s during corporate takeovers, where top executives negotiated lucrative exit packages.
Example Sentence: The CEO received a golden parachute worth millions when the company was sold.

Born With A Silver Spoon In One’s Mouth

Synonym: Privileged, wealthy
Meaning: To be born into a wealthy and privileged family
Origin: The idiom dates back to the 16th century, where owning a silver spoon was a sign of wealth, and being born with one indicated inherited wealth.
Example Sentence: He never had to work for anything because he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Keep The Wolf From The Door

Synonym: Survive, manage
Meaning: To have just enough money to avoid poverty or hunger
Origin: The idiom likely comes from the idea of a wolf representing hunger or poverty, and keeping it away signifies staying out of dire financial straits.
Example Sentence: His part-time job barely keeps the wolf from the door, but it’s better than nothing.

Burn A Hole In One’s Pocket

Synonym: Eager to spend
Meaning: Money that someone is eager or impatient to spend
Origin: This idiom likely comes from the idea that money in one’s pocket “burns” because of the urge to spend it quickly.
Example Sentence: His bonus is burning a hole in his pocket; he can’t wait to buy that new gadget.

Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees

Synonym: Money is scarce
Meaning: A reminder that money is limited and not easily obtained
Origin: This idiom is a straightforward metaphor indicating that money is not easily accessible like leaves on a tree.
Example Sentence: I can’t buy you a new phone every year—money doesn’t grow on trees, you know!

A Fool And His Money Are Soon Parted

Synonym: Financially irresponsible
Meaning: People who are not wise with their money will lose it quickly
Origin: This idiom comes from a 16th-century proverb, highlighting that foolish people quickly lose their wealth due to poor decisions.
Example Sentence: He spent his entire paycheck on a risky investment and lost it all—a fool and his money are soon parted.

Penny For Your Thoughts

Synonym: What are you thinking?
Meaning: A way of asking someone what they are thinking about
Origin: This idiom dates back to the 16th century when a penny was a common and small amount of money, symbolizing the value of someone’s thoughts.
Example Sentence: You’ve been quiet for a while—a penny for your thoughts?

Rolling In Dough

Synonym: Wealthy, rich
Meaning: To have a lot of money
Origin: This idiom likely evolved from the idea of dough representing money, as both are essential and valuable.
Example Sentence: After selling his company, he’s been rolling in dough and traveling the world.

Penny Wise And dollar Foolish

Synonym: Shortsighted
Meaning: Being careful with small amounts of money but wasteful with larger amounts
Origin: This idiom comes from British currency, where being wise with pennies but foolish with pounds (larger currency) represents poor financial judgment.
Example Sentence: She’s penny wise and dollar foolish—she’ll drive across town to save a dollar but spends a fortune on luxury items.

Worth One’s Weight In Gold

Synonym: Extremely valuable
Meaning: Someone or something that is very valuable or useful
Origin: This idiom dates back to ancient times when gold was a standard of wealth, and something worth its weight in gold was incredibly valuable.
Example Sentence: Our new manager is worth her weight in gold; she’s turned the department around.

Foot The Bill

Synonym: Pay the expenses
Meaning: To pay for something, usually when it’s not expected
Origin: The idiom comes from the 19th century, where “foot” referred to adding up a column of figures, and “the bill” is the total expense.
Example Sentence: The company will foot the bill for the entire event, so employees don’t need to worry about expenses.

Cash In One’s Chips

Synonym: Cash out, sell
Meaning: To sell something or take money out of an investment, often implying giving up or quitting
Origin: The idiom comes from gambling, where players exchange their chips for cash when they decide to leave the game.
Example Sentence: After years in the business, he decided to cash in his chips and retire.

Chicken Feed

Synonym: Peanuts, small amount
Meaning: A very small or insignificant amount of money
Origin: This idiom comes from the small amount of grain or feed given to chickens, symbolizing something of little value.
Example Sentence: They offered him chicken feed for his work, so he turned down the job.

Cut One’s Losses

Synonym: Quit, abandon
Meaning: To stop doing something that is unprofitable before it gets worse
Origin: This idiom likely comes from the idea of reducing financial losses by ending an unprofitable investment.
Example Sentence: The project was failing, so we decided to cut our losses and move on.

Easy Money

Synonym: Quick money
Meaning: Money that is earned with little effort
Origin: The origin is straightforward, referring to money that is easy to obtain without much work.
Example Sentence: He thought he could make easy money with that scheme, but it turned out to be a scam.

Feel The Pinch

Synonym: Financial strain
Meaning: To experience financial difficulties
Origin: This idiom refers to the “pinch” or squeeze felt when money is tight.
Example Sentence: With the recent increase in prices, many families are starting to feel the pinch.

Pay The Piper

Synonym: Face consequences
Meaning: To face the consequences of one’s actions, particularly after enjoying benefits
Origin: This idiom comes from the story of the Pied Piper, who was not paid for his services and took revenge by leading the children away.
Example Sentence: They had a great time on vacation, but now it’s time to pay the piper and deal with the credit card bills.

Money Talks

Synonym: Influence of money
Meaning: Money has a strong influence and can persuade people to do things
Origin: This idiom suggests that money is a powerful motivator and can “speak” to people’s decisions.
Example Sentence: They didn’t want to sell the house at first, but money talks, and they eventually agreed.

Grease Someone’s Palm

Synonym: Bribe
Meaning: To bribe someone in order to gain favor or get something done
Origin: This idiom likely comes from the idea of oiling or greasing machinery to make it work smoothly, metaphorically applying to bribing a person.
Example Sentence: He tried to grease the official’s palm to get the permit approved faster.

Born With A Silver Spoon In One’s Mouth

Synonym: Privileged, wealthy
Meaning: To be born into a wealthy and privileged family
Origin: This idiom dates back to the 16th century, where owning a silver spoon was a sign of wealth, and being born with one indicated inherited wealth.
Example Sentence: He never had to work for anything because he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Buy Something For A Song

Synonym: Bargain, cheap
Meaning: To purchase something very cheaply
Origin: This idiom likely comes from the idea that a song was once a common and inexpensive form of entertainment, symbolizing something cheap.
Example Sentence: She bought that vintage chair for a song at the flea market.

Feather One’s Nest

Synonym: Enrich oneself
Meaning: To enrich oneself at the expense of others, often in a dishonest way
Origin: This idiom comes from birds collecting feathers to make their nests more comfortable, symbolizing someone making their situation better, often unethically.
Example Sentence: He was accused of feathering his nest by diverting company funds into his personal account.

Get One’s Money’s Worth

Synonym: Good value
Meaning: To receive good value for the amount of money spent
Origin: The idiom is straightforward, implying that the value of something justifies the cost.
Example Sentence: The concert tickets were expensive, but the performance was amazing, so I feel like I got my money’s worth.

Go Dutch

Synonym: Split the bill
Meaning: To share the cost of something, particularly a meal, equally between participants
Origin: This idiom possibly originates from the Dutch practice of splitting the cost of social outings, symbolizing fairness and equality.
Example Sentence: We decided to go Dutch on dinner to keep things simple.

Hand To Mouth

Synonym: Surviving, just getting by
Meaning: Living paycheck to paycheck, with just enough money to cover basic needs
Origin: This idiom describes the act of eating directly from one’s hand, symbolizing living with only the bare necessities.
Example Sentence: After losing his job, he’s been living hand to mouth, struggling to make ends meet.

Laugh All The Way To The Bank

Synonym: Make easy money
Meaning: To make a lot of money easily or enjoy financial success, often when others thought it wouldn’t happen
Origin: The idiom suggests a person is so pleased with their financial success that they’re literally laughing as they go to deposit their money in the bank.
Example Sentence: They laughed all the way to the bank after their small business became an overnight success.

Living On A Shoestring

Synonym: Frugal, budget
Meaning: To live on a very tight budget with very little money
Origin: This idiom likely comes from the idea of “shoestring” as a symbol of something very small or minimal, representing limited financial resources.
Example Sentence: After graduating, she was living on a shoestring while looking for her first job.

Make Ends Meet

Synonym: Survive financially
Meaning: To manage to cover one’s basic expenses with the money available
Origin: The idiom suggests the challenge of stretching limited resources to cover all necessary costs, as if trying to make two ends meet.
Example Sentence: With rising rent and bills, it’s becoming harder to make ends meet each month.

Pour Money Down The Drain

Synonym: Waste money
Meaning: To waste money on something that provides little or no return
Origin: The idiom comes from the image of money being washed away and lost, as if it’s literally going down a drain.
Example Sentence: Buying that old car was like pouring money down the drain—it needed constant repairs.

Put One’s Money Where One’s Mouth Is

Synonym: Back up words with action
Meaning: To support one’s opinions or claims with actual financial commitment or action
Origin: The idiom suggests that someone should not just talk about something, but actually invest money or take action to prove their point.
Example Sentence: If you believe in the project so much, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is and invest.

Take A Rain Check

Synonym: Reschedule, postpone
Meaning: To decline an offer or invitation but suggest that it could happen at a later time
Origin: This idiom originated from baseball, where if a game was rained out, spectators were given a “rain check” that allowed them to attend a rescheduled game.
Example Sentence: I’m busy tonight, but can I take a rain check on that dinner?

Throw Money At A Problem

Synonym: Overspend, solve with money
Meaning: To try to solve a problem by spending money on it rather than addressing the underlying issues
Origin: The idiom suggests that money is being wasted on quick fixes instead of finding a proper solution.
Example Sentence: They keep throwing money at the problem, but nothing ever seems to get fixed.

Money To Burn

Synonym: Excess money
Meaning: To have more money than one needs, often suggesting wasteful spending
Origin: This idiom comes from the image of having so much money that one could afford to burn it.
Example Sentence: After winning the lottery, they had money to burn and went on a shopping spree.

Time Is Money

Synonym: Time is valuable
Meaning: Time is a valuable resource, and wasting it is like wasting money
Origin: The phrase is attributed to Benjamin Franklin, emphasizing the importance of using time wisely because it equates to financial gain.
Example Sentence: Let’s get this project started—time is money!

Make Ends Meet

Synonym: Survive financially
Meaning: To manage to cover one’s basic expenses with the money available
Origin: The idiom suggests the challenge of stretching limited resources to cover all necessary costs, as if trying to make two ends meet.
Example Sentence: With rising rent and bills, it’s becoming harder to make ends meet each month.

Day Late And A Dollar Short

Synonym: Too little, too late
Meaning: To be behind schedule and lacking the necessary resources to complete something
Origin: This idiom likely originated from the idea of being slightly late and slightly underfunded, which can be just enough to cause failure.
Example Sentence: His attempt to fix the problem was a day late and a dollar short.

Under The Table

Synonym: Illegally, secretly
Meaning: To do something secretly, often involving money or payments made illegally or off the record
Origin: The phrase comes from the idea of passing something covertly under the table to avoid detection.
Example Sentence: He was paid under the table to avoid taxes.

Go For Broke

Synonym: Risk everything
Meaning: To risk everything in an effort to achieve something great
Origin: This idiom comes from gambling, where “going for broke” means risking all your money on one bet in the hopes of a big win.
Example Sentence: They decided to go for broke and invest all their savings in the new business.

Make Heads Or Tails Out Of Something

Synonym: Understand
Meaning: To be able to make sense of something
Origin: This idiom likely originates from the use of heads or tails on a coin, representing two sides of a situation.
Example Sentence: The instructions were so confusing that I couldn’t make heads or tails out of them.

Pass The Buck

Synonym: Shift responsibility
Meaning: To shift responsibility or blame to someone else
Origin: The phrase comes from poker, where a “buck” was a marker used to indicate the player responsible for dealing the cards. Passing the buck meant passing on the responsibility to another player.
Example Sentence: Instead of solving the issue, he just tried to pass the buck to his coworker.

Pay An Arm And A Leg

Synonym: Overpay, expensive
Meaning: To pay a very high price for something
Origin: This idiom suggests that something is so expensive that it feels like you’re giving up a part of your body to afford it.
Example Sentence: The concert tickets cost an arm and a leg, but they were worth every penny.

Penny Wise And Dollar Foolish

Synonym: Shortsighted
Meaning: Being careful with small amounts of money but wasteful with larger amounts
Origin: This idiom comes from British currency, where being wise with pennies but foolish with pounds (larger currency) represents poor financial judgment.
Example Sentence: She’s penny wise and dollar foolish—she’ll save money on groceries but spend a fortune on designer clothes.

Rolling In The Dough

Synonym: Wealthy, rich
Meaning: To have a lot of money
Origin: This idiom likely evolved from the idea of dough representing money, as both are essential and valuable.
Example Sentence: After their business took off, they’ve been rolling in the dough and living a luxurious life.

Give Your Two Cents

Synonym: Offer an opinion
Meaning: To share your opinion, usually when it’s not asked for
Origin: The phrase comes from the idea that opinions are often worth very little, symbolized by the small value of two cents.
Example Sentence: She wasn’t asked, but she decided to give her two cents about the situation anyway.