Financial Idioms and Phrases

Soft money

• To spend a large amount of money.

• Money that can be earned without putting in a lot of effort.

• To save some money by tucking it away like a squirrel with a nut.

• Having absolutely no money.

Mad money

• Money meant to be wasted on entertainment.

• To make a large amount of money.

• To lose a lot of money quickly.

• Money paid illegally in exchange for favorable treatment.

Pass the hat

• To pay dearly for something.

• To pass around a hat for people to put money into in order to collect and raise funds for a cause.

• To face the results of your actions with a punishment.

• To pay a lot of money for something that is worth it.

Pay through the nose

• To pay a lot of money for something that is worth it.

• Money due immediately to pay for something that was purchased earlier.

• To pay a very high price–most likely too much.

• To support your lifestyle with your own money because you are financially independent.

Strike it rich

• To have little or no money available.

• Having absolutely no money.

• To find or do something that makes you rich.

• To become rich or successful suddenly, basically overnight.

Answer explanation

Strike it rich means to become rich or successful suddenly, basically overnight.

Strike gold means to find or do something that makes you rich. People who sought gold by digging in gold mines had the opportunity to strike gold and become instantly rich.

Take them to the cleaners

• To accept an offer and collect on it before the situation changes and the offer is gone.

• To spend a lot of money without fear that it is going to waste.

• this idiom means to cheat someone out of their money.

• Gathering money or goods from members of a group for charitable purposes.

Up the ante

• A phrase used to preface an opinion on an issue.

• To increase demands or the amount spent for something.

• To show up someplace where you’re not wanted.

• To spend a lot of money of a project or venture, often recklessly without thinking about how the money could be better spent.

Answer explanation

To increase demands or the amount spent for something. In poker, the ante is the amount of money each player puts on the table before starting a round, so upping the ante is increasing the amount that everyone must buy in, or spend.

A day late and a dollar short

• If someone acts foolishly or unwisely with their finances, then they will soon lose their money.

• This is another way to say, “too little, too late.”

• This common phrase is used to encourage people to save money.

• Appearances, no matter how lovely and sparkly, can be deceptive.

Answer explanation

When someone is a day late and a dollar short, they have missed an opportunity because of tardiness and because they haven’t put in the effort.

Sock away

• To save or store money.

• To go to the bathroom.

• The best option in an investment.

• To own something very valuable, but not realize that it is.

Red cent

• To metaphorically frolic in a large pile of money.

• To blackmail or extort money from someone.

• A small amount of money.

• own something very valuable, but not realize that it is.