Money and Pay expressions in English

You can't escape the financial news at the moment (and none of it seems to be very positive!) But apart from the economic problems of countries, there are lots of ways of talking about personal finances in English.

You can refresh your knowledge of money idioms here.

Exercise 1 – Money idioms

Find the opposites to these words and expressions.
(There are four opposite pairs in the eight expressions.)

cautious with money
generous
money burns a hole in your pocket
money is no object
spend money like water
tight-fisted
you can put money aside for a rainy day
you have a limited budget

Expressions with Pay

Here are some common expressions with "pay":

pay through the nose = pay a lot of money
pay in cash = pay in notes and coins (rather than by credit card)
pay upfront = pay some money in advance
pay off = repay in full
pay someone back = pay someone the money you borrowed from them

Exercise 2

Complete the sentences

He'll never be able to pay —– his student loans.
We'll pay you ——— for the work. We don't need an invoice.
Did he ever pay you —— for that meal? No, he still owes me!
We paid ———- for that holiday. It certainly wasn't worth it!
We'll need to pay some money ——- for the car – a sort of deposit.

Answers to last week's English exercise

Most students feel a little worried on their first day at school, as they're not really sure what to expect. Should they be frightened that the teachers will ask them difficult questions, or that they won't make friends? Perhaps they'd find the school boring or their classmates annoying.

The first day at school is a bit like your first day in a new job. You might be a little worried that you'll get stuck in traffic and be late, and you also have the "butterflies in your stomach" feeling about starting a new phase in your life. It's exciting and terrifying at the same time. The first day is always tiring, but the second day always feels better. At least it's more familiar and there's less to feel nervous about.