Talking about money – Phrasal verbs & Idioms
Phrasal verbs
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pay back |
to return money owed to someone |
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pay off |
to finish paying all money that is owed |
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save up |
to keep money for a large expense (=uitgave) |
Idioms we might use when talking about money:
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Money doesn’t grow on trees |
money doesn’t come easily |
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I’m not made of money |
to not have a lot of money |
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Time is money |
time is valuable so do not waste it |
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Beyond one’s means |
more than one can afford |
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To cost an arm and a leg |
to cost a lot of money |
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Flat broke |
to have no money at all |
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Foot the bill |
to pay for something |
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English expression and description |
Dutch translation or equivalent |
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A light purse is a heavy curse: Life is difficult when you don't have much money. |
Het leven is niet makkelijk als je geen geld hebt. |
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Cash cow: A product, business, etc., that generates a continuous flow of money or a high proportion of overall profits is a cash cow. |
Een melkkoetje. |
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Daylight robbery: If you are overcharged or underpaid, it is a daylight robbery; open, unfair and hard to prevent. Rip-off has a similar meaning. |
Dat is oplichterij! |
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Earn a living: To make money. Example: We need to get a good job to earn a decent living. |
De kost verdienen. |
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Golden touch: Someone with a golden touch can make money from or be successful at anything they do. |
Hij is als koning Midas (Een koning van Lydië) die van de goden een wens mocht doen. Zijn wens was, dat alles wat hij aanraakte in goud zou veranderen. |
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Make ends meet: If somebody finds it hard to make ends meet, they have problems living on the money they earn. |
De eindjes aan elkaar kunnen knopen. |
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Money burns a hole in your pocket: If someone has money burning a hole in their pocket, they are eager to spend it, normally in a wasteful manner. |
Je hebt een gat in je hand. |
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Not have two pennies (USA: nickles) to rub together: If someone hasn't got two pennies to rub together, they are very poor indeed. |
Geen rooie cent hebben. |
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Penny pincher: A penny pincher is a mean person or who is very frugal. |
een krentenkakker, vrek. |
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The penny dropped: When the penny drops, someone belatedly understands something that everyone else has long since understood. |
Het kwartje is gevallen. |