MONEY
and change
[some number of dollars] plus between 1 and 99 cents more.The book cost $12.49. That's twelve dollars and change.Subway fare is now one dollar and change.
caught short
to be without something you need, especially money.I needed eggs for my cake, but I was caught short.Bob had to borrow money from John to pay for the meal. Bob is caught short quite often.
cold, hard cash
cash, not checks or promises. (Informal.)I want to be paid in cold, hard cash, and I want to be paid now!Pay me now! Cash on the barrelhead—cold, hard cash.
cost an arm and a leg
to cost too much. (Fixed order.)It cost an arm and a leg, so I didn't buy it.Why should a little plastic part cost an arm and a leg?
cost a pretty penny
to cost a lot of money.I’ll bet that diamond cost a pretty penny.You can be sure that house cost a pretty penny. It has seven bathrooms.
cross someone's palm with silver
to pay money to someone in payment for a service. (A fortune-teller might ask for a potential customer to cross her palm with silver. Used in that sense or jocularly for something like tipping a porter.)I crossed his palm with silver, but he still stood there.You will find that things happen much faster in hotels if you cross the staffs palms with silver fairly often.
draw interest
[for money] to earn interest while on deposit.Put your money in the bank so it will draw interest.The cash value of some insurance policies also draws interest.
feed the kitty
to contribute money.Please feed the kitty. Make a contribution to help sick children.Come on, Bill. Feed the kitty. You can afford a dollar for a good cause.
flat broke
completely broke; with no money at all. (Informal.)I spent my last dollar, and I’m flat broke.The bank closed its doors to the public. It was flat broke!
float a loan
to get a loan; to arrange for a loan.I couldn't afford to pay cash for the car, so I floated a loan.They needed money, so they had to float a loan.
go broke
to completely run out of money and other assets.This company is going to go broke if you don't stop spending money foolishly.I made some bad investments last year, and it looks as if I may go broke this year.
go to the expense (of doing something)
to pay the (large) cost of doing something.I hate to have to go to the expense of painting the house.It needs to be done, so you'll have to go to the expense.
have an itchy palm and have an itching palm
to be in need of a tip; to tend to ask for tips. (As if placing money in the palm would stop the itching.)All the waiters at that restaurant have itchy palms.The cabdriver was troubled by an itching palm. Since he refused to carry my hags, I gave him nothing.
have money to burn
to have lots of money; to have more money than one needs.Look at the way Tom buys things. You'd think he had money to burn.If I had money to burn, I'd just put it in the bank.
He who pays the piper calls the tune.
a saying meaning that the person who is paying for something has control over how the money is used.Fred's father is paying his way through college, and wants to help him choose his courses. He says that he who pays the piper calls the tune.The bride's parents should have a say in where the wedding is held since they're paying for it. He who pays the piper calls the tune.
in deep
deeply in debt.Bill owes a lot of money to the bank. He's really in deep.John is in deep with his stockbroker.
make a bundle and make a pile
to make a lot of money. (Slang.)John really made a bundle on that deal.I'd like to make a pile and retire.
make a check out (to someone)
to write a check naming someone as payee.Please make a check out to John Jones.Do you want cash, or should I make out a check?
make a fast buck and make a quick buck
to make money with little effort. (Slang.)Tom is always ready to make a fast buck.I made a quick buck selling used cars.
make a living
to earn enough money to live on.I'll be glad when I get a job and can make a living.I can hardly make a living with the skills I have.
make (both) ends meet
to manage to live on a small amount of money.It's hard these days to make ends meet.I have to work overtime to make both ends meet.
make good money
to earn a large amount of money. (Informal.)Ann makes good money at her job.I don't know what she does, but she makes good money.
Money burns a hole in someone's pocket
someone spends as much money as possible. (Informal.)Sally can't seem to save anything. Money burns a hole in her pocket.If money burns a hole in your pocket, you never have any for emergencies.
money is no object and expense is no object
it does not matter how much something costs.Please show me your finest automobile. Money is no object.I want the finest earrings you have. Don't worry about how much they cost because expense is no object.
Money is the root of all evil
A proverb meaning that money is the basic cause of all wrongdoing.Why do you work so hard to make money? It will just cause you trouble. Money is the root of all evil.Any thief in prison can tell you that money is the root of all evil.
money talks
money gives one power and influence to help get things done or get one's own way. (Informal.)Don't worry. I have a way of getting things done. Money talks.I can't compete against rich old Mrs. Jones. She'll get her way because money talks.
on deposit
[of money] deposited or stored in a safe place.I have $10,000 on deposit in that bank.We have some gold coins on deposit in the bank's vault.
out-of-pocket expenses
the actual amount of money spent. (Refers to the money one person pays while doing something on someone else's behalf. One is usually paid back this money.)My out-of-pocket expenses for the party were nearly $175.My employer usually pays all out-of-pocket expenses for a business trip.
out of sight
[for a price to be] very high. (Informal.)won't pay this bill. It's out of sight.The estimate was out of sight, so I didn't accept it.
pass the hat
to attempt to collect money for some (charitable) project.Bob is passing the hat to collect money to buy flowers for Ann.He's always passing the hat for something.
pour money down the drain
to waste money; to throw money away. (Informal.)What a waste! You're just pouring money down the drain.Don't buy any more of that low-quality merchandise. That's just throwing money down the drain.
pull something down
to earn a certain amount of money. (Slang.)She's able to pull down $400 a week.I wish I could pull down a salary like that.How much is she pulling down?
put something up
to provide the money for something.The government put the money up for the cost of construction.Who will put up the money for my education?
put the bite on someone and put the touch on someone
to try to get money from someone. (Slang.)Tom put the bite on me for ten dollars.Bill put the touch on me, but I told him to drop dead.
Put your money where your mouth is!
a command to stop talking big and make a bet.I'm tired of your bragging about your skill at betting. Put your money where your mouth is!You talk about betting, but you don't bet. Put your money where your mouth is!
rolling in something
having large amounts of something, usually money. (Informal.)That family is rolling in money.Jack doesn't need to earn money. He's rolling in it.
save up (for something)
to save money for something.I'm saving up for a bicycle.I'll have to save up for a long time. It costs a lot of money.
see the color of someone's money
to verify that someone has money or has enough money. (Slang.)So, you want to make a bet? Not until I see the color of your money.I want to see the color of your money before we go any further with this business deal.
set someone back (some amount of money)
to cost someone (an amount of money). (Informal.)This coat set me back about $250.That dinner at the restaurant last night really set us back.
settle up with someone
to pay someone what one owes; to pay someone one's share of something.I must settle up with Jim for the bike I bought for him.Fred paid the whole restaurant bill and we all settled up with him later.
strike it rich
to acquire wealth suddenly. (Informal.)If I could strike it rich, I wouldn't have to work anymore.Sally ordered a dozen oysters and found a huge pearl in one of them. She struck it rich!
That ain't hay
That is not a small amount of money. (Folksy.)I paid forty dollars for it, and that ain't hay!Bob lost his wallet with $200 in it—and that ain't hay.
tightfisted (with money) and closefisted (with money)
very stingy with money.The manager is very closefisted with expenditures.My parents are very tightfisted with money.
Time is money
(My) time is valuable, so don't waste it.I can't afford to spend a lot of time standing here talking. Time is money, you know!People who keep saying time is money may be working too hard.
to the tune of some amount of money
a certain amount of money. (Informal.)My checking account is overdrawn to the tune of $340.My wallet was stolen, and I'm short of money to the tune of seventy dollars.
ways and means
Referring to the raising of money to pay for something. (Typically refers to a government committee or a committee of some organization charged with raising money. Fixed order.)The suggestion was referred to the ways and means committee for discussion at the next meeting.The proposed legislation is stalled in ways and means.
You can't take it with you
You should enjoy your money now, because it is no good when you're dead.My uncle is a wealthy miser. I keep telling him, "You can't take it with you."If you have money, you should make out a will. You can't take it with you, you know!
MONEY - CONTRIBUTION
kick something in
to contribute some money (to a cause). (Informal.)John kicked five dollars in.I'd be happy to kick in a dollar, but no more.
MONEY - LACKING
wipe someone or something out
to cause someone to be broke. (Slang.)They wiped me out in the poker game.The crop failure wiped out all the farmers.
MONEY - SPEND
break the bank
to use up all one's money. (As in casino gambling where a gambler wins more money than the house has on hand.)It will hardly break the bank if we go out to dinner just once.Buying a new dress at that price won't break the bank.
ace
n. one dollar.Give me an ace. I have to get some telephone change.It only costs an ace. Buy two.
adobe dollar
n. a Mexican peso.How many of these adobe dollars does it take to buy a can of pop here?One greenback will get you about 2,400 adobe dollars these days.
almighty dollar
n. the dollar viewed as a symbol of power or greed.You don't care about anything but the almighty dollar.The world's economy seems to depend on an adequate supply of the almighty dollar.
and change
phr. plus a few cents; plus a few hundredths. (Used in citing a price or other decimal figure to indicate an additional fraction of a full unit.)This one only costs $10 and change.The New York Stock Exchange was up seven points and change for the third broken record this week.
ante
n. an amount of money that must be contributed before playing certain card games, such as poker.What's the ante to join this game?That's a pretty high ante. Forget it!
bank
n. money; ready cash.I can't go out with you. No bank.I'm a little low on bank at the moment.
bankroll
n. a roll or wad of currency; one's cash assets.My bankroll is getting a little low.Don't show that bankroll around here!
beat
mod. broke.Man, I'm beat. I got no copper, no bread.All we need is another beat mouth to feed.
behind the eight ball
mod. broke.Sorry, I'm really behind the eight ball this month. I can't make a contribution.I was behind the eight ball again and couldn't make my car payment.
big bucks
n. a lot of money.To me, $400 is big bucks.She gets paid big bucks to worry about stuff like that.
billie and bill(y)
n. paper money; a bill. (California.)Do you have any billies on you?Nope, no billies on me.
birdseed
n. a small amount of money.That's just birdseed compared to what I spend.Forty billion is birdseed to a government with a $600 billion budget.
blow
tr. to waste money; to spend money.Mary blew $40 on a secondhand radio.We blew it all at a fancy restaurant.
bones
n. dollars; money; cash.You got any bones on you I can borrow?The tickets only cost a few bones, but the play was lousy and I want my money back.
bottom dollar
n. one's last dollar.I lost my bottom dollar on that deal.I'm down to my bottom dollar. How about a little loan?
bread
n. money.I need to get some bread to live on.You got any bread you can spare?
buck
n. a dollar.Gimme a buck for a bottle of wine, will you, mister?Here's a buck; get me some cigarettes.
buckage
n. money.I am a little low on buckage at the moment.Can you spare a little buckage until payday?
bundle
n. a large amount of money.He still has a bundle from the sale of his house.You must think I have a real bundle.
C
n. the sum of $100, as in C-note. (Underworld. The “C” is the Roman numeral 100.)Four Cs for an old junker like that? You're crazy!This suit cost me two Cs.
cabbage
n. money.How much cabbage you want for this heater?I don't make enough cabbage to go on a trip like that!
cake
n. money.I can't scrape together enough cake to do the job.I don't have cake in my pocket, in the bank, or under my mattress. What am I going to do?
capital
n. cash; money.I'm a little short of capital right now.Do you think I could borrow a little capital until payday?
cash flow
n. cash; ready money.When I get a little cash flow at the end of the week, I'll treat you to a hamburger.There wasn't enough cash flow to pay the rent.
cent
n. one dollar. (Underworld.)One cent for one joint? Not bad.A cent for this thing?
century note
n. a one-hundred-dollar bill. (Underworld. The “C” is the Roman numeral for “100.”)I got a couple of century notes for driving these guys home from the bank.Here's a century note for your trouble, young man.
change
n. money.It takes a lot of change to buy a car like that.I don't have the change to get one of those videotape machines.
chicken feed
n. a small amount of money.Sure, I can afford it. It's just chicken feed.It may be chicken feed to you, but that's a month's rent to me.
chips
n. money.I managed to put away a few chips when I worked for Acme Systems.She saved some chips over the years and bought herself a little place on the beach.
chump change
n. a small amount of money; the kind of salary or amount of money a chump would work for.I refuse to work for chump change! I want a real job.It may be chump change, but it's better than nothing.
clam
n. a dollar. (Underworld.)Forty clams for a sweater that doesn't even have arms!You got a couple of clams I can bum for a little bottle?
C-note and C-spot
n. a one-hundreddollar bill. (The “C” is the Roman numeral for “100.”)How much ammo will a C-note buy these days?That guy wanted a C-spot to fix my muffler.
coin
n. money.I'm sort of short of coin right now. Can it wait?He made a lot of coin on the last picture.
color of someone's money
n. the amount of money someone has in hand.Well, I can tell if we can make a deal if I could see the color of your money.Lemme see the color of your money. Then we'll talk.
copper
n. money. (From copper penny.)How much copper you got on you?That car takes too much copper to run.
deuce
n. two dollars.Can you loan me a deuce till payday?Sure, here's a deuce. Don't spend it all in one place.
dinero
n. money. (Spanish.)I don't have as much dinero as I need, but other than that, I'm doing okay.You got some dinero I can borrow?
doowacky
n. money.You got some doowacky I can borrow?I'm out of doowacky myself.
do-re-mi and do-re-me
n. money. (From dough.)It takes too much dore- mi to live in this part of town.Do you have a little do-re-me you could loan me?
double saw(buck)
n. a twenty-dollar bill.This whole thing only cost a double sawbuck.Can you loan me a double sawbuck till payday?
dough
n. money.I got a lot of dough for that ring I found.I need some dough to buy groceries.
ducats and duc-ducs
n. money.Who's got enough ducats to pay for the tickets?I've got duc-ducs galore!
easy money
n. money earned or gained with little or no difficulty.You know where I can get some easy money?All you guys want easy money. Don't you want to work for it?
ends
n. money. (Streets.)You got enough ends to get you through the week?We don't have enough ends to pay the gas bill.
federal diploma
n. a U.S. bank note.I could use a few extra of those federal diplomas.How many federal diplomas you got with you?
filthy lucre
n. money.I sure could use a little of that filthy lucre.I don't want to touch any of your filthy lucre.
fin and finn
n. a five-dollar bill. (Germanic via Yiddish.)Who says I owe you a fin?I gave the old guy a finn, and he nearly passed out.
fiver
n. a five-dollar bill.This thing only cost me a fiver.Give him a fiver, and let's get outa here.
folding money and folding stuff
n. U.S. paper bank notes, as opposed to coins.Sorry, I don't have any folding money with me. Can you pick up the bill?I sure could use some more of that folding stuff.
four bits
n. fifty cents. (A bit is equal to twelve and one-half cents.)You got four bits I can borrow?Here's four bits. Keep the change.
front
in. to pay out money in advance of receiving goods; to pay up front.I fronted about $550 for the new computer.How much do you want her to front for this?
front money
n. money paid in advance; earnest money.How much front money do you need?I put up a lot of front money and have nothing to show for it.
geetis and geedus; geetus
n. money.That kind of car takes a lot of geetis, doesn't it?I don't have the geetis to throw around on something like that.
gold
n. money.Do you have enough gold to pay the bill?There's no gold in my pockets.
grand and G
n. one thousand dollars.That car probably cost about twenty grand.Four Gs for that thing?
green and green folding; green paper; green stuff
n. money; paper money.How much green you got on you?I have so much green stuff, I don't know what to do with it.
greenback
n. a dollar bill.She came out of the bank and dropped this pack of greenbacks right there on the street.It's only ten greenbacks. Anybody can afford that.
hard coin
n. lots of money.A car like that takes hard coin.Old Freddie is earning some hard coin these days.
heavy bread and heavy money
n. a great deal of money.Man, that car cost some heavy bread.It takes heavy money to run a household like this.
hush money
n. money paid to buy someone's silence.They paid enough hush money to silence an army.There was some hush money paid to someone in city hall.
ice
n. money given as a bribe, especially to the police. (Underworld.)Did you give Ervine the ice?A lot of those cops take ice.
in the chips
mod. wealthy; with lots of money.I'm in the chips this month. Let's go squander it.If I was in the chips, I'd buy a Jag.
jack
n. money.I don't have the jack for a deal like that.How much jack will it take?
kilobucks
n. a tremendous sum of money.These boondoggles waste kilobucks!How many kilobucks does a set of wheels like that cost?
lace
n. money. (Underworld.)You got any lace in those pockets?My lace won't reach that far. I can't afford it.
lettuce
n. money.Put your lettuce on the table; then we'll talk.How much lettuce do you have left?
long bread and long green
n. money.Man, that must have cost you some long bread!Look at the long green you get for doing the job!
loot
n. money in general.I left home without any loot.It takes too much loot to eat at that restaurant.
mad money
n. money to be spent in a frivolous fashion.This is my mad money, and I'll do with it as I please.I got $100 in mad money for my birthday.
mazuma and mazulla
n. money. (From Hebrew mezu via Yiddish.)How much mazuma do you want for this?She's got more mazuma than she knows what to do with.
megabucks
n. a lot of money; big bucks.A stereo that size must cost megabucks.Mr. Wilson has megabucks in pharmaceutical stocks.
mint
n. a lot of money.He makes a mint. He can afford a little generosity.That kind of car costs a mint!
money from home
n. easily gotten money. (Underworld.)There is nothing to a simple con job like this. It's money from home.This job is like taking candy from a kid. It's money from home.
moolah
n. money. (Originally underworld.)That is a whole lot of moolah!There was no moolah in that safe!
necessary
n. money; an income. (Always with the.)I can always use more of the necessary.I gotta have more of the necessary, man.
nest egg
n. money saved for some important purpose, such as retirement.I lost most of my nest egg in the market crash.It takes years to build up a nest egg.
package
n. a lot of money; a bundle.She made quite a package on that bank deal.I came away from the dog track with a nice little package.
peanuts
n. practically no money at all.They want me to do everything, but they only pay peanuts.The cost is just peanuts compared to what you get for the money.
pile
n. a large amount of money.She really made a pile in the stock market.That old lady has a pile of money stashed in the bank.
pot
n. a sum of money collected; a pool of money.Clare won the whole pot.How large is the pot this month?
pounds
n. dollars; money.How many pounds does this thing cost?I don't have any pounds on me.
pretty penny
n. a sizable amount of money.I imagine that your jacket cost you a pretty penny.This watch cost me a pretty penny, and I intend to take care of it.
rivets
n. dollars; money.You got enough rivets on you for a snack?Who can come up with that many rivets?
rocks
n. money; dollars. (Underworld.)How many rocks do you want for that?Twenty rocks for that?
roll
n. a bankroll; lots of money.I earned a roll off that last deal.He's got a roll right there in his pocket.
sawbuck
n. a ten-dollar bill. (From the time when the “10” was indicated by the Roman numeral “X,” which looks like the crosspiece that supports wood that is being sawed.)It cost me a sawbuck to have my car pulled out of the mud.Can I borrow a sawbuck till payday?
scratch
n. money.I just don't have the scratch.How much scratch does it take to buy a car like this one?
shekels
n. dollars; money.You got a few shekels you can spare?These things cost plenty of shekels.
silver
n. money.What kind of silver is that going to take?I have some silver stashed at home if you need it.
simoleon
n. a dollar. (Underworld.)How many simoleons is this going to cost me?For only one simoleon, you get a ticket to the greatest show on earth.
single
n. one dollar; a dollar bill.I don't have enough singles in the register to get me through the morning.I got a couple of singles I can lend you.
six bits
n. seventy-five cents. (A bit is equal to twelve and one-half U.S. cents.)You got six bits I can borrow?Just try one of these things. It's only six bits.
skin
n. a dollar bill.This ticket cost me a couple of skins—and it's not worth it.You got a skin for the tollbooth?
slush fund
n. a fund of money that can be used for various unofficial and discretionary purposes.How much is left in the slush fund?The slush fund is bankrupt.
smacker
n. a dollar. (Underworld.)You got a couple of smackers for the toll booth?Don't waste your hard-earned smackers like that. Run on through.
small fortune
n. a rather sizable amount of money.This set of wheels cost me a small fortune.I've got a small fortune tied up in test equipment.
smart money
n. money belonging to smart or clever people.Most of the smart money is going into utility stocks right now.Watch and see what the smart money is doing.
soft money
n. easy money; money obtained without much effort.Don't become dependent on soft money.There's not even very much soft money around now.
spending money
n. cash, as opposed to money in the bank.I'm a little short of spending money at the present. Could I borrow ten dollars?I don't have any spending money either.
spinach
n. money. (Because it is green.)How much spinach you got on you?Look at this! One hundred dollars in good old American spinach!
spondulicks and spondulics; spondulix
n. money.How much spondulicks will this set me back?I don't have enough spondulix to swing the deal.
Suzy
n. a U.S. one-dollar coin bearing a likeness of Susan B. Anthony.I've got two Suzys I want to get rid of.Someday I'm going to buy a car or something with a barrel of Suzys.
tenner
n. a ten-dollar bill.For a tenner, the bum led Barlowe to the place where the crate still lay in the alley.Barlowe slipped him a tenner and faded into the fog.
ten-spot
n. a ten-dollar bill.I slipped him a ten-spot, and suddenly there was a table available.It will cost you a tenspot to get the book—in paperback, that is.
thin dime
n. a dime, thought of as a very small amount of money. (A concept eroded by inflation.)For only one thin dime you will receive our exciting catalog of novelties and tricks.This whole mess isn't worth one thin dime.
tight money
n. money that is hard to get.This is tight money. Go easy on it. It's hard to get.In these days of tight money, no new expenditures will be approved.
two bits
n. twenty-five cents; a quarter coin.Can I bum two bits for the phone?Here's two bits for your piggy bank.
wad
n. a bundle of money; a bankroll. (Originally underworld.)I lost my wad on a rotten horse in the seventh race.You'd better not flash a wad like that around here. You won't have it long.
wampum
n. money. (From an Amerindian word.)I don't have enough wampum to swing the deal.How much wampum do you want for this thing?
war chest
n. a political campaign fund.They say the vice president has over $1 million in his war chest.When the war chest gave out, the candidate dropped out of the race.
wherewithal
n. money.I don't have the wherewithal to invest in anything like that.I've got the interest but not the wherewithal.
yard
n. a one-hundred-dollar bill. (Underworld.)The guy wanted a yard just to fix a little dent in the fender.Pay him a yard to shut up about what he saw.