Read Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook Online
Authors: Gail Brenner
Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook (12 page)
give
Adam
an offer
make
me
an offer
Also, an adjective such as
good
,
acceptable
, or
unacceptable
may be placed before the word
offer:
“We
made him an
acceptable
offer,
but he refused it.”
Two more idioms that mean to hire someone are to
sign on
and
bring on.
These idioms are typically used to refer to hiring someone by a signed contract, often temporarily for a specific or specialized task.
Grammar Note:
Sign on
and
bring on
are separable phrasal verbs that can be separated by a direct object. These idioms are often used in the passive voice,
be signed on
and
be brought on.
Here are a few examples:
- We recently
brought on
two specialists to analyze marketing strategies. - We need help with this project, but our budget won’t allow us
to bring anyone else on. - I was
signed on
to the job last week.
[For more information on separable phrasal verbs, see Part V.]
A new employee might logically be called
a new hire
or, more symbolically,
the new kid on the block.
For example: “You’re still
the new kid on the block
so don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
New kid on the block
alludes to a child who has just moved into a neighborhood and is unfamiliar with relationships and the dynamics of the children who play together there. It also implies that
the new kid
still has to prove him or herself before being fully accepted.
Working Hard
To be
on the job
can mean simply to be at work or at the workplace. But
on the job
also means to be busy and concentrating on a specific job or task, as in “Take a break; you’ve been
on the job
all morning.” Someone who’s always working extra hard might be called
a workhorse,
as in “Jean is a real
workhorse.
She gets a lot accomplished.”
Working especially hard and energetically to complete a task is often described with the following colorful expressions:
work one’s tail off
(also the less polite
work one’s butt off
) ♦
We
worked our tails off
to get this project done.
work like crazy
♦
I’ve been
working like crazy
preparing for the conference.
work like gangbusters
♦
Everyone is
working like gangbusters
to have the play ready for opening night.
work day and night
♦
She
worked day and night
to finish her master’s thesis.
work around the clock
(refers to the numbers on a clock face, but means working 24 hours a day, both day and night) ♦
The road crew has been
working around the clock.
The Pecking Order
A few common expressions describe the person with the least seniority (years working with a company; level of authority) or the person who has the lowest position. In such a case, one is said to be
the low man on the totem pole
(alluding to the bottom-most, or lowest, figure carved on a totem pole). Other similar expressions are
the low rung on the ladder
(alluding to the bottom-most, or lowest, step on a ladder) and
at the bottom of the pecking order
(alluding to the hierarchy of domestic poultry where a bird of higher status pecks birds of lower status).
Note:
The expressions
the totem pole, the rungs of the ladder,
and
the pecking order
all refer to the hierarchy of authority. Here are a few examples:
- When you’re the low man
on the totem pole,
you get the jobs no one else wants. - These training courses will help you move up the
rungs of the ladder. - During the economic crisis, everyone near
the bottom of the pecking order
was laid off.
Grammar Note:
In all of the preceding expressions (except to
work one’s tail off
) the verb “go” is often used instead of the verb “work,” as in
going like crazy, going day and night,
and so on.
When the work is physically very hard, people might use one of these expressions:
work like a dog
♦
I
worked like a dog
all weekend cleaning out the garage.
work one’s finger to the bone
♦
She
works her fingers to the bone
cleaning other people’s houses.
A Good-Paying Job
If you have a
good-paying job
(earn a good salary) you might say “
I
make good money.
” Even better, earning a high salary or making a high profit might be expressed as
make bank (v)
♦
The location of their property is so desirable that they really
made bank
on the sale of their house.
make big bucks (v)
♦
His business is
making big bucks
after only one year!
rake it in (v)
♦
She’s
raking it in
on that new line of products.
Note:
Sometimes put as
raking in the money
(or
dough
or
bucks
).
make money hand over fist
♦
His computer company was so successful, it was
making money hand over fist.
A similar expression is
make
(or
pull in
)
six figures,
meaning to make a yearly salary that contains six digits ($100,000 or more). For example: “In her new job, she’ll be
pulling in six figures!
” This idiom is usually put in gerund form,
making six figures
or
pulling in
six figures.
A Low-Paying Job
If you have a low-paying job, you might be making minimum wage (the minimum wage per hour that an employer can legally pay in the U.S.). A person earning a very low wage might say “I’m
working for peanuts,
” implying that his or her pay has the same value as peanuts.
The following expressions imply that one’s salary or hourly wage is enough to pay for basic needs:
make a living wage
(v)
to earn enough to pay for basic living expenses ♦
He wasn’t
making a living wage
at his first job, but now he’s doing much better.
♦
I don’t need to make a lot of money, but I do need to
make a living wage.
make ends meet
(v)
to be able to take care of financial needs with the money one makes ♦
With both Matt and Lisa working, they’re able to
make ends meet. ♦
Many people can’t
make ends meet
even though they work full time.
Losing One’s Job
Plenty of idioms exist to express the unfortunate event of
losing one’s job
or
being out of a job
(being fired or dismissed from a job).
The following idioms mean that someone has lost a job due to a company-based reduction in the number of employees (often to reduce expenses), and sometimes referred to, generally, as
job reduction:
laid off
(v)
to be asked to leave one’s job temporarily or indefinitely because the company is reducing its number of employees ♦
She was one of the last employees to
be laid off. ♦
The factory just
laid off
2,000 more workers.
Grammar Note:
To be laid off
is the passive form of the expression
to lay off,
which is what the employer does.
A layoff
is the noun form.
cut
(v)
to have one’s position reduced in pay or scope, or eliminated altogether. Often put as
one’s job
or
position
was
cut from the payroll.
♦
To avoid bankruptcy, the company
cut
one third of its workforce.
♦
My position
was cut
to half time
,
so now I need a second job.
downsized
(v)
have the workforce reduced or decreased in size ♦
He didn’t want to tell us that we were fired, so instead he said,
“
You’ve been
downsized.” ♦
I haven’t been
downsized
yet, but just in case I’m going to start looking for another job.
Note:
This modern idiom is meant to sound more friendly than
fired
or
laid off,
but means the same and is often used cryptically.
The following idioms mean to
lose one’s job,
to
be fired
or
laid off
from a job for any reason:
be let go
♦
He was
let go
along with the two other newest employees.
♦
Your company will be sorry that they
let
you
go.
You were one of their best.
be (
or
get) canned
♦
Ann
got canned
for continuing to smoke on the job after she was asked to stop.
be (
or
get) sacked
♦
He was given two warnings about his behavior, then he
got sacked.
Note:
This idiom may allude to being given one’s sack or box of tools and being told to leave.
get the ax
♦
Everyone with less than 10 years in the company
got the ax
today.
get the boot
♦
The company is downsizing, and we’re just waiting to see who will
get the boot.
get the heave-ho
♦
Dan finally
got the heave-ho
after years of minimum productivity.
Note:
Alludes to an expression used when heaving and tossing out something.
get one’s walking papers
♦
The company is having trouble, but no one has
gotten their walking papers
yet.
Note:
Refers to written notice of dismissal.
Grammar Note:
The last four idioms above are also commonly used in their passive form:
be given the ax, be given the boot,
and so on. Here are two examples:
- Tom was a troublemaker, and was finally
given the ax. - Once the project is finished some of the team will be
given
their
walking papers.
Grammar Note:
All of the idioms in this section can be put in an active form, or used with a different verb, to mean to fire someone. In this alternative form, they would be
to lay off, to cut, to downsize, to let someone go, to can
(or
sack
)
someone, to give someone the ax
(or
the boot,
and so on.)
[See other work-related idioms in Chapter 5.]
CHAPTER 6
PEANUTS
AND
DOUGH:
MONEY
A common saying, “money isn’t everything,” suggests that there are more important things in life than money or monetary gain. By contrast, the saying “money makes the world go ’round” implies that money is essential to the function of the world and everyday life. No matter what one’s philosophy, money — getting it, using it, and losing it — has inspired
a wealth
(a rich supply) of idioms, slang, and sayings.
In American English, money is often called one of these slang words:
bread
dough
moola
greenback
that green stuff
scratch
loot
In addition:
A dollar bill is often called
a buck,
as in “The concert tickets cost 25
bucks
each.”
A credit card is often called
plastic,
as in “I don’t have much cash with me. I’ll use
plastic.”
Making Money
Making money
is the common expression for earning money or making a profit from a business venture. A quantitative adjective (showing an amount) can come before the word “money,” as seen in bold in the following sentences:
- I need to
make
some
money
while I’m going to school. - I didn’t
make
much
money
as a lifeguard, but it was a great summer job.
The
breadwinner
is the person or persons in a family whose paycheck supports the family. For example:
- Today, it often takes more than one
breadwinner
to support a family. - My father was the
breadwinner
while my mother managed the house.
Here are a few other expressions meaning to support oneself or one’s family:
bring home the bacon
to be a breadwinner. Alludes to an old custom of winning a pig or pork as a prize. ♦
Who
brings home the bacon
in your family?
♦
I don’t always enjoy my work, but one has to
bring home the bacon.
earn one’s bread and butter
to earn a living; support oneself. Alludes to bread and butter as a staple or necessity of life. ♦
He asked his son, “How do you plan to
earn your bread and butter?” ♦
I’ve sold some of my artwork, but it’s not how I
earn my bread and butter.
earn one’s keep
to earn enough to pay one’s share of expenses or to work in exchange for one’s living expenses. Often used lightly to mean doing chores for someone. ♦
When I was a student, I
earned my keep
by working at night.
♦
Her husband said jokingly, “I have to do the dishes to
earn my keep.”
Making Money Deceptively
Money that’s made dishonestly or by deceiving others is sometimes called
dirty money.
Here are a few other expressions that refer to making money deceptively:
make a fast buck
make a quick profit illegally or by cheating others ♦
He was always trying to
make a fast buck
with some deceptive scheme.
♦
They thought they could
make a fast buck
smuggling drugs, but they were caught and sent to prison.
feather one’s nest
to make a profit only for oneself, especially by taking advantage of others or one’s position ♦
Many elderly people lost their money in bad investments, while CEOs
feathered their nests. ♦
It should be illegal for lawmakers to
feather their
own
nests
with pay raises while cutting money for education and social services.
[See more idioms for making money in Chapter 5.]
Having Money
Having money, either a little or a lot, is almost always talked about with idioms. Money is a personal matter. It’s impolite to ask people how much (or how little) they have. It’s also considered poor manners to discuss one’s own financial situation, except with close friends or family. So, idioms allow people to discuss almost any money situation indirectly.
Making Ends Meet
The following idioms mean to have barely enough money to pay for basic living expenses, with little or no money left over for other expenses. This financial situation is often described as
low-income
(an income level that barely meets one’s financial needs).
Grammar Note:
All of these idioms are verbs, and they’re often put in the continuous tense, as in
to be getting by, to be making ends meet,
and so on.
get by
♦
My family was poor, but
we
got by. ♦
We tried to
get by
on one income, but we couldn’t.
scrape by
♦
They’ve just been
scraping by
since he lost his job.
♦
We
scraped by
during hard times, but we survived.
make ends meet
♦
If I keep expenses down, I can
make ends meet
working part time.
♦
With hospital expenses, they weren’t able to
make ends meet.
manage
♦
They’re
managing
on her salary while he finishes school.
♦
Somehow they
managed
every month on their low pay.
live from hand to mouth
♦
They were
living from hand to mouth
until they discovered oil on their property.
[See idioms that mean “having no money,” later in this chapter.]
Living Comfortably
To live comfortably, to do okay,
and
to do well
mean to have enough money to pay for basic expenses, enjoy some luxuries, and probably save some money too. This financial situation is often described as
middle-income
(a midrange income level that adequately meets one’s financial needs).
live comfortably
(also put as
be comfortable)
♦
Our family wasn’t rich, but we
lived comfortably. ♦
I don’t care about being rich; I just want to
be comfortable.
do okay
♦
Luckily we’re still
doing okay,
even in this stressed economy.
do well
♦
They both have good jobs, so they’re
doing
quite
well.
Note:
Do okay
and
do well
can have approximately the same meaning, but
doing well
often implies that a person has more money than
doing okay.
Living in the Lap of Luxury
People who make plenty of money might describe their financial situation as
high-income
or
upper-income
(a top income level that more than meets basic needs and provides for many expensive extras). The following idioms mean to have a lot of money, to be wealthy or rich:
well off (adj)
♦
They’re not
well off,
but they do okay.
well to do (adj)
♦
Being
well to do,
she made a huge donation to the children’s fund.
loaded (adj)
♦
He started with nothing, but his business grew, and now he’s
loaded.
made of money (v)
(this idiom is always expressed in the passive form) ♦
The guy is
made of money;
he has millions!
have money (v)
♦
They must
have money;
have you seen their fantastic house?!
Grammar Note:
The verb
got
is often added to this idiom, as in “My aunt is CEO of a company, so she has definitely
got money.
”
have money to burn (v)
♦
If your new CD is a success, you’ll
have money to burn!
rolling in money
or
rolling in dough (v)
(this idiom is always expressed in the continuous tense; it implies having so much money that one can play in it or roll in it) ♦
Some of these professional athletes are
rolling in money.
Living Large
Some people with a lot of money (even temporarily) like to show off their wealth, spending it lavishly and excessively. You can say they’re
living large, living high off the hog
(sometimes said
living high on the hog
), or
living a life of luxury.
If they’re living pampered lives with many luxuries and no financial worries, you can say that they’re
living in the lap of luxury
or
living like a king
(or a
queen
). Here are a few of these expressions in context.
- They’ve been
living high off the hog
since they won the lottery. - He was
living large
on his inheritance, until he spent it all. - She’s always
lived the life of luxury,
so she’s used to having expensive things.
People with a lot of money are sometimes referred to with one of these idioms:
a person of means (n)
♦
Lucy is
a woman of means
and lives elegantly.
money bags (n)
(often used in the place of the person’s name) ♦
If you need a loan, you should ask Uncle Jack,
Mr. Money Bags.
Note:
Not polite to say directly to someone, except as light teasing.
[See also “Big Spenders,” later in this chapter.]
Saving Money
Putting away
money
is another way to say
saving money
; you’re putting it in a safe place for the future. For example “She’s trying to
put
away
$100 each month.” Here are a few other expressions that refer to saving money.
The verbs below are all separable, meaning that the two words of the idiom can be separated by a direct object:
lay away
♦
We’re
laying away
money for our kid’s education.
sock away
♦
I try to
sock
money
away
in my IRA account every chance I get.
squirrel away
♦
My grandmother used to
squirrel
money
away
in an old coffee tin.
stash away
♦
He’s going to use the money he
stashed away
to buy a car.
A similar verb is
save for a rainy day
, which means to save in case of future hardship: “Don’t spend all your money. You should
save
some
for a rainy day.
”
A noun that is related to saving money is
nest egg,
which generally refers to money saved for retirement or old age: “They hope that their
nest egg
will support them after they retire.”
Spending Money
Everyone has to spend money, but some
spend foolishly
or
waste money,
while some
spend wisely
or
watch their money.
In General . . .
Following are some general expressions for spending money — wisely, foolishly, willingly, or reluctantly. These are all verbs:
drop
usually, to spend a large amount at one time, often unplanned ♦
Wow. We
dropped
a lot of money on that little weekend trip.
♦
I just
dropped
$500 on a new stereo system!
fork over
or
fork out
to have to pay or give money, usually unwillingly ♦
Our taxes are already high, and this candidate wants us to
fork over
more money to the government.
lay out
usually, to pay a lot of money for a necessary expense ♦
We
laid out
thousands of dollars for our daughter’s education.
run up the bills (
or
the credit cards)
to have large expenses or to buy a lot of things on credit until the balance due is very high ♦
Using the heater really
runs up the electric bills
in the winter.
♦
We
ran up all of our credit cards
when we were on vacation.
shell out
to pay someone, often unwillingly, or to pay a relatively large amount of money ♦
I had to
shell out
$100 for that traffic ticket!
♦
I can’t believe my friend
shelled out
$800 for a comic book!
Spending Money Like There’s No Tomorrow
If you’re spending money extravagantly or foolishly, it could be said that you’re acting
like there’s no tomorrow.
Another way to put this is to say that money is
burning a hole in your pocket
— you want to spend it as soon as possible.
The following verbs are also used when one is wasting money or spending it too quickly:
blow money
to waste money or to spend it on something worthless or unnecessary ♦
You can
blow
a lot of
money
gambling at Reno.
♦
I just
blew $25
on a used TV that doesn’t work.