MONEY
Having Money
Not Having Money
Spending Money

M O N E Y

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HAVING MONEY

Come vivono i ricchi...

How the other half lives

I'd like to buy your big sports car but, unfortunately I don't live how the other half lives!

Vivere nel lusso, nell'agiatezza

To live off the fat of the land

What are you looking for, Wendy? You're beautiful, healthy and rich enough to live off the fat of the land.

Fare tanti soldi

To make good money

The wise man made a lot of good money buying fields around the suburban areas... now they are all building sites.

Fare soldi in fretta

To make a quick buck

We suspect something: he was too fast to make a quick buck.

Diventare ricchi in fretta

To strike it rich

He struck it rich and now he's terribly busy... none of us sees him anymore.

Dalla miseria alla ricchezza

From rags to riches

Do you know Calvin?... he was very poor and now he has a fortune: a rags-to-riches story indeed!

Arricchirsi (non legalmente)

To line one's pockets

They are said to line their own pockets, so the police are investigating their accounts in Swiss banks.

Profittare della situazione per fare molti soldi

To feather one's nest

The worker accused his boss of feathering his own nest, dishonestly using his position at work to get a lot of money for himself.

Dalla miseria alla ricchezza

From rags to riches

Do you know Calvin?... he was very poor and now he has a fortune: a rags-to-riches story indeed!

Il potere dei soldi

Money talks

The millionaire couldn't speak any foreign languages, however, he still managed to get the best places everywhere... money talks!

Benestante, ricco

Well-off (well-heeled)

He lacks nothing... he's really-well off (well-heeled).

Essere veramente ricco

To be filthy rich

He's really filthy rich: he made a fortune and now he has billions and billions.

Fare abbastanza soldi per tutto il resto della vita

To set somebody up for life

Winning the lottery, the lucky man was set himself up for life.

Un gruzzolo

A nest-egg

After years of hard working, they amassed a good nest-egg... they bought a country house with it.

Mettere i soldi da parte per il futuro

Money for a rainy day

They're very scrupulous: they saved a good sum of money for a rainy day.

Essere indipendenti

To paddle one's own canoe (to stand on one's own two feet)

After the age of eighteen, he started to paddle his own canoe (to stand on his own feet) when of the age, soon after the army.

Stipendio netto, al netto delle tasse

Take-home pay; He thought he was earning a lot of money, but his take-home pay is only average.

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NOT HAVING MONEY

I soldi sufficienti per vivere

To bring home the bacon

After she lost the job, her husband had to bring home the bacon.

Il necessario per sopravvivere

Somebody's bread and butter

After better moments, they now only have their bread and butter to keep them going.

Essere al verde

To be broke (to be in financial straits, in financial laces)

Lately, he has been betting on the horses and now he is broke (in financial straits, in financial laces).

Non avere una lira

Not to have two pennies to rub together

I can't stop admiring him: even if he hasn't two pennies to rub together, he has a lot of dignity.

Essere veramente poveri

Not to have a pot to piss in

We really should help them: they're so poor... they don't have a pot to piss in.

Fare un debito per pagarne un altro

To rob Peter to pay Paul

Sam had to borrow some money to settle an old account he owed... it was a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Vivere miseramente

To live hand to mouth

The poor family lived hand to mouth, using all their money to support themselves.

Sentire l'odore di soldi

To get a sniff of money

I have to ask for my pay... the week is passing and I haven't had a sniff of money yet.

Due soldi di paga

Chicken feed; They were so stingy: they gave me chicken feed for doing this job.

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SPENDING MONEY

Crepi l'avarizia!

To blow the expense

Guys, I invite you all to the new restaurant for dinner... blow the expense!

Darsi alle spese folli

To have a splurge

I've only just had my salary and I've already spent half of it shopping... I've had a splurge.

Aver le mani bucate

To be a spendthrift (money burns a hole in somebody's pocket)

I'm not able to save money: I really am a spendthrift: money burns a hole in my pocket.

Spendere senza smettere

In for a penny in for a pound

Sally had spent so much money on presents that she stopped keeping track... in for a penny, in for a pound.

Comprare al volo, prendere un affare al volo

To snap up

You have to be fast and snap up what you like during the sales!

Costare

To set somebody back

What a wonderful bike... it must have set you back a pretty penny.

Costare molto

To knock someone back

It knocked him back a fortune.

Negoziare, trattare

To bargain for something; to bargain over something

In oriental markets it's a normal practice to bargain for (over) the lower price.

Ottenere uno sconto

To knock down

Lisa knocked the cashier down five pounds for the make-up she wished to buy.

Pagare in contanti, sull'unghia

Cash on the barrelhead

It was a real buy at that price, but Sam had to pay cash on the barrelhead.

"No credit -the dealer said- pay it cash on the barrelhead!"

Comprare qualcosa per molto poco

To get something for a song

That new shirt is not that bad, even if I got it for a song.

Prezzo stracciato, molto basso

Rock bottom

The shop girl refused to reduce the price... "That's already rock bottom!" she replied.

Guadagnato da una parte ma perso dall'altra

Swings and roundabouts

More money, more taxes... it's pointless, it's all swings and roundabouts.

The prices there are cheaper, but you've to drive a lot... what you gain on the swings you may lose on the roundabouts!

Poco spendi poco pretendi

pay peanuts, get monkeys

When I heard that the video recorder packed up after few hours, I told him "If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys!".

Stare attenti prima di comprare

To buy a real pig in a poke

I told you that the price was too low: now that's at home, the washing machine doesn't work... you bought a real pig in a poke!

Star fermi sul prezzo

To drive a hard bargain

I'm driving a hard bargain with selling the car: I've had so many calls that I'll never reduce the asking price.

Pagare molto di più del dovuto

To pay over the odds

He had to pay over the odds to get the limited edition car.

Spendere troppo

To spend money like water

During the last holiday she spent money like water!

Costare un occhio della testa

To cost someone arm and a leg (to cost a bomb)

Don't smoke there, my dear... the new sofa cost me an arm and a leg (a bomb).

Pagare una tombola, un'esagerazione

To pay through the nose

Even if they reduced the price, he paid through the nose for the new house.

Essere truffati, perdere molti soldi

To take somebody to the cleaners

Fiona didn't realise that the man was a swindler: he took her to the cleaners.

Derubare, fregare (una fregatura)

To rip off (a rip off)

I've to check all the bills carefully: I am quite sure that the landlord will try to rip me off.

Pagare il conto

To foot the bill

It was a marvellous evening and we had an excellent dinner, but now who is going to foot the bill?

Pagare ognuno per sé, alla "romana"

To go Dutch

Don't feel obliged: we're going to share the price.. it's better to go Dutch.

Aver credito per tardare un pagamento

On tick

I don't know for how much time Ben will let you drink at the pub on tick.

Stare attenti alle spese

Money doesn't grow on trees

You have to slow down buying everything without thinking: money doesn't grow on trees.

Essere sicuri che ci sono i soldi per pagare

To see the colour of somebody's money

I'd rather would ask to see the colour of his money before giving to him the keys of my apartment.

Tenere la testa lontano dai debiti

To keep one's head above water

After he went bankrupt, he is now just keeping his head above water.

Pagare il dovuto a qualcuno, saldare

To settle up with

Let's drink now... you'll settle up with the cashier later.

Pagare in natura

To pay in kind (sexual connotation also); Sorry, no money left... I'll pay you in kind!