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Download the Money Idioms List & PDF Worksheets
View the updated web-version of the money idioms list in the table below.
The idiom worksheets and games are also free to download.
- Download and print the PDFs.
- Use the materials for interactive learning activities in class.
- Students can also complete the worksheets to review or for self-study.
Money Idiom Worksheets for ESL Students
Worksheet A: Defining Idioms & Writing Sentences with Idioms
Worksheet B: Reading Idioms in Context & Describing Meanings
Fun Money Idiom Games for the Classroom
Money Idioms Checklist (for BINGO)
30 Idioms and Phrases About Money
*Updated: January 2019
| Idiom / Phrase | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a dime a dozen | common and available anywhere | Corrupt cops are a dime a dozen in this city. |
| a penny for your thoughts | ask for advice | Could I have a penny for your thoughts? I don't know how to solve this problem. |
| an arm and a leg | very expensive | That new car costs an arm and a leg. |
| born with a silver spoon | from a rich family | Sara was born with a silver spoon, but she became a drug addict. |
| bread and butter | necessities or main points | Tell me the bread and butter of the article and explain the general idea of it. |
| break the bank | go bankrupt | She broke the bank after buying the Ferrari. |
| bring home the bacon | earn money | Louie brings home the bacon while his wife takes care of the kids. |
| burn a hole in my pocket | spend too much money | I burned a hole in my pocket overpaying on insurance. |
| cash in the chips | selling something | He cashed in the chips and went on a world tour. |
| cheapskate | a frugal person | He's such a cheapskate. He never buys anything for his girlfriend. |
| chip in | donate money or time | Why don't you chip in and support the refugees? |
| cook the books | dishonest accounting | Let's cook the books so we can avoid paying higher taxes. |
| cut corners | reduce spending | The family had to cut corners in order to put food on the table. |
| foot the bill | pay for something | I'll foot the bill and pay for everyone's meal at the restaurant. |
| give no quarter (none asked) | give no mercy | The student asked to take the test again, but the teacher gave no quarter. |
| give someone a run for their money | try hard to defeat another person | Connor is going to give Floyd a run for his money. |
| go Dutch | split the bill | The couple always likes to go Dutch and share their living expenses. |
| gravy train | high pay for minimal work | Government workers ride the gravy train while sitting at their desks doing nothing. |
| I bet | I think so | I bet she's going to arrive late to work again. |
| lion's share | the majority of something | You took the lion's share of the money. All I got was a couple pennies. |
| live from hand to mouth | live on very little money | During the depression, we had to live from hand to mouth. |
| nest egg | saved money | She has a huge nest egg, so she doesn't have to work anymore. |
| pay a king's ransom | pay a lot of money | The team had to pay a king's ransom for the superstar. |
| penny pincher | a frugal person | Victor is such a penny pincher. He never buys anything for anyone. |
| pour money down the drain | waste money | Betting on an injured horse is like pouring money down the drain. |
| put in my two cents | give my opinion | Can I put in my two cents? I have something important to say. |
| put your money where your mouth is | stop talking and start acting upon something | You should put your money where your mouth is and start your new business idea. |
| rags to riches | going from being poor to wealthy | Jake went from rags to riches after he won the lottery. |
| save for a rainy day | save money in case something unfortunate happens | You should save for a rainy day. You could get injured or become unemployed. |
| time is money | time is valuable | We can't wait here all day. Time is money! |
Extra Examples of Money Idioms in Use
Do you want to read more examples and sentences with money idioms?
Try entering the expressions in a corpus database or language app.
We highly recommend the following corpus resources and tools: