Idioms — Set 14

Set 14 of Idioms covers 5 idioms: be in the red, foot the bill, pay a king's ransom, have the Midas touch, have deep pockets. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. be in the red · idiom/bi ɪn ðə rɛd/

   to spend more money than you have; to be at a loss

   In this year's first quarter, the company was in the red for the first time since it was established in 1986.

   Origin: From accounting tradition — losses were written in red ink, while profits appeared in black.

2. foot the bill · idiom/fʊt ðə bɪl/

   to pay for something

   Maria and David have only one child, so they will try their best to completely foot the bill for their daughter's college.

   Origin: From the 1500s — 'foot' meant to add the total at the foot (bottom) of a written bill, then pay it.

3. pay a king's ransom · idiom/peɪ ə kɪŋz ˈrænsəm/

   to pay a huge amount of money

   Last week Sarah paid a king's ransom for the world's ugliest shoes but she said that they were comfortable, and that's what counts.

   Origin: From medieval times — kings captured in war demanded enormous ransoms, often equal to a country's wealth.

4. have the Midas touch · idiom/hæv ðə ˈmaɪdəs tʌtʃ/

   to have the ability to make money and profit no matter what one tries

   There is no more denying the reality show star has the Midas touch. She turns everything she does into a profitable business.

   Origin: From Greek mythology — King Midas was granted the power to turn everything he touched into solid gold.

5. have deep pockets · idiom/hæv dip ˈpɑkɪts/

   to have a lot of money or financial resources

   The entire event was sponsored by the South Korean technology giant Samsung, which obviously has deep pockets.

   Origin: A modern image — wealthy people are imagined as having pockets so deep their money never runs out.