WorksheetsFinancial Idioms and Phrases
Total questions: 30
Worksheet time: 30mins
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.
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.
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.
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.
Monopoly money
Money that has little to no value.
To charge someone small amounts of money repeatedly, which eventually total a large sum over time.
Not for anything–not love nor money.
Paid for by the owner of a business so that it is free for the buyer.
Keep the wolf from the door
A warning to a buyer that they should check and make sure their purchase is in good condition without any problems.
The idiom means having money that is enough to support basic needs, but can’t cover wants and luxuries.
To spend more money than you can afford; living outside of your actual lifestyle or the lifestyle that you can afford.
Someone who is wealthy with metaphorical bags of money.
Penny-wise and pound foolish
To pay for the entire bill or the whole expense.
Being careful when handling small amounts of money, but careless when managing large amounts of money.
When someone misuses or throws around money without thought, they might as well just pour it down the drain into the garbage.
Money that was made quickly and easily.
Highway robbery
o charge a high price for something beyond what it’s worth.
The person who says this is implying they don’t have money right now or are very poor.
This situation or thing happens often enough that the person would be rich if they were paid each time it happens.
To have a lot of money.
If I had a nickel for every time that happened, I would be rich
The person who says this is implying they don’t have money right now or are very poor.
This situation or thing happens often enough that the person would be rich if they were paid each time it happens.
To make a lot of money very suddenly, such as the jackpot in gambling.
To charge a high price for something beyond what it’s worth.
Fork out/fork over
To work for very little money that is valued below the cost of labor.
To pay for something by putting forward money.
To own something outright and without owing any money on it.
An idiom that means going from poverty to prosperity.
A fool and his money are soon parted
To pay money owed on a good or service.
To be very poor to the point of starvation or begging.
If someone acts foolishly or unwisely with their finances, then they will soon lose their money.
To be very secure and dependable like a dollar bill.
A light purse is a heavy curse
At any expense of time, money, or effort; someone would figuratively spend all of their money in order to achieve or get this thing.
Think about how quickly it would take a dime to fall from your pocket to the ground.
or those without a lot of money (those in poverty), life is incredibly difficult.
To make sure that all money is accounted for by taking stock of the financial accounts.
Go dutch
A job that pays more than it’s worth.
A situation where each person pays his or her own share of the expenses, especially splitting the cost of a meal on a first date.
A payment made to a departing employee.
To pay for a special favor, typically an illegal bribe.
A penny saved is a penny earned
This common phrase is used to encourage people to save money.
To be priced lower than average or less than the face value
To bet all that you have on something because you’re sure that you’ll win.
More than you can afford.
Cash in the barrelhead
Not having enough money to pay for something.
When an item is paid for in cash.
To make a huge profit.
When multiple people pay jointly or contribute money toward a purchase.
Don’t take any wooden nickels
To make enough income to live comfortably and pay necessary expenses
to warn people of avoiding being cheated or ripped off
Money that doesn’t require a lot of effort to acquire.
Money that can be earned quickly and easily. It can also be money that is earned dishonestly or illegally.
Float a loan
Something that is mistakenly believed to be full of potential.
To arrange for a loan from an individual or a company to get through a hard time.
When someone pays for everyone’s expenses or covers the cost of a bill/invoice
To work for very little money that is valued below the cost of labor.
Front money
To escape a fee or punishment for a crime.
To give someone a challenge or what they deserve.
To become bankrupt and lose all of your money.
Money paid in advance of receiving something in exchange.
Get along on a shoestring
To be able to live on a little bit of money by budgeting and limiting wants.
To escape a fee or punishment for a crime.
To get everything that you paid for, sometimes getting even more than its true value.
A situation where each person pays his or her own share of the expenses, especially splitting the cost of a meal on a first date.
Golden handshake
A payment made to a departing employee.
To pay for a special favor, typically an illegal bribe.
To be a shoplifter, pickpocket, or a thief.
When someone finally realizes or understands something.
He who pays the piper calls the tune
An idiom meaning that a person who provides the money should have a say about how it is spent.
The face of a coin or the other side of the coin. To have to choose one of two options and decide by flipping a coin.
To have a lot of money.
To have the ability to make money easily. A reference to the Greek myth of King Midas, who turned everything that he touched into gold.
I don’t have two nickels/pennies to rub together
The person who says this is implying they don’t have money right now or are very poor.
This situation or thing happens often enough that the person would be rich if they were paid each time it happens.
A 90’s folk rock song by Canadian group Barenaked Ladies. People say this to talk about how they would spend their money if they had a lot of it.
An illegal money bribe given to someone to keep them quiet.
Other side of the coin
someone means the exact opposite of the situation or subject.
The actual amount of money that needs to be paid.
What is worthless trash to one person may be a valuable treasure to someone else.
Paid for by the owner of a business so that it is free for the buyer.
Pennies from heaven
A request that asks someone what they are thinking.
Money that wasn’t expected. It’s a miracle.
Being careful when handling small amounts of money, but careless when managing large amounts of money.
To pay for the entire bill or the whole expense.
