Better value for your money.
Those Chinese fireworks are so cheap. We literally get a bigger bang for our buck.
Worldwide, but overused to the point of cliche.
So commonplace as to be of little consequence.
Red buses in London. they’re a dime a dozen.
A foolish person is very likely to lose his money.
He’s off to the casino again – ’a fool and his money…’ I say.
The United Kingdom – 16th century.
Money always has a telling influence.
He’s not really good enough to be an F1 driver but he got in the team because he brought a major sponsorship deal with him. As they say, a golden key can open any door.
The United Kingdom.
Worldwide, but somewhat uncommon.
A way of asking what someone is thinking.
You’ve been gazing out the window with a wistful look for ages. A penny for your thoughts?
The United Kingdom – 16th century.
Most common in Britain (although we don’t use pennies here any longer).
Anything you save has the same effect as adding to your income.
I put all my small change into a jar every day. It’s not much, but a penny saved is a penny earned.
The United Kingdom – 17th century.
Worldwide, but uncommon.
Very expensive. A large amount of money.
That new lawnmower is top of the range. It cost me an arm and a leg.
USA, mid-20th century. Often mistakenly thought to be related to the high cost of painting full-length portraits.
A disparaging term for an accountant or anyone who compiles statistics.
It’s a shame. Jim was a first rate pure mathematician but the bank offered him so much money to be their bean counter he decided to take it.
New Zealand.
slang term for UK’s removal of Spare Room Subsidy.
Just because I’ve got a room to keep my son’s wheelchair I’m going to be caught by the bedroom tax.
Britain, following the introduction of the Spare Room Subsidy in the UK in 2013.
Britain.
To be so prized and valuable as to not be obtainable by money.
Getting in to the school hall for the annual nativity play cost us $5 but seeing little Angie in the lead role was beyond price.
Britain, 16th century.
Something of little importance, especially a small sum of money.
The newsagent is really ripping off the kids who deliver the papers for him. He’s paying them chicken feed.
USA, mid-19th century.
A discount price offered to friends.
I can’t really afford to get the roof fixed but my pal Jim is a builder, maybe hell give me mates rates.
Australian origin, 20th century.
Worldwide, but most common down under.
Savings set aside for future use.
That pension will keep building until I’m 65. Its a good little nest egg.
Britain, 17th century.
Earmarking funds to guarantee a specific project can go ahead.
The government is making major cuts in spending, but at least the hospital will stay open – medical funding is ring-fenced.
Britain, early 20th century.
Without payment.
He was lucky that the traffic warden’s pen ran out and he didn’t get a ticket. He got off scot free.
Britain, 16th century. Not, as is often thought, related to the American slave Dred Scott.
To manage, with difficulty, enough of what is needed – especially money.
Between three three of us we managed to scrape together £5 for a taxi home.
The rundown area of a city inhabited by the destitute.
Lost my job, Jill left me, started drinking – pretty soon I was on skid row.
USA, early 20th century.
Worldwide, but most common in the USA.
Dirt and muddle are evidence of products being manufactured and money (brass) being made.
Stuff was coming in and out of the factory yard every five minutes and debris was piled everywhere. Business was brisk though – where there’s muck there’s brass you know.
Britain – especially Yorkshire.
England, most commonly in the north of England.
Suggestion that you should spend money and live life now as it will be no use to you after you die.
Grandma saved all her life but lived on a pittance. No one told her that you can’t take it with you.
Britain, 1930s – deriving from several similar idioms dating from the early 19th century onward.
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