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Unit 05
Money, Time & Effort
cost an arm and a leg, in the nick of time…
Money, Time and Hard Work
Money, time and effort are part of everyone's daily conversation, so idioms about them are very frequent. Several of them have close Turkish equivalents, such as tighten your belt (kemerleri sıkmak) and save for a rainy day (kara gün için biriktirmek).
Money
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| cost an arm and a leg | to be very expensive | Rents in Istanbul cost an arm and a leg. |
| break the bank | to cost more than you can afford | A weekend trip won't break the bank. |
| make ends meet | to have just enough money to live on | Many families struggle to make ends meet. |
| on a shoestring | with very little money | We travelled around Europe on a shoestring. |
| tighten your belt | to spend less money than before | Prices are rising, so we need to tighten our belts. |
| a rip-off | something that costs much more than it should | €10 for a coffee? That's a rip-off! |
| save for a rainy day | to save money for difficult times in the future | It's wise to save some money for a rainy day. |
| money doesn't grow on trees | money is limited and has to be earned | I can't buy you everything — money doesn't grow on trees! |
Time
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| in the nick of time | at the last possible moment | We got to the airport in the nick of time. |
| once in a blue moon | very rarely | I eat fast food once in a blue moon. |
| in the long run | over a long period of time; eventually | Learning English will help you in the long run. |
| around the corner | very near in time | Summer is just around the corner. |
| kill time | to do something unimportant while waiting | We played cards to kill time at the station. |
| time flies | time passes very quickly | Time flies when you're having fun. |
| better late than never | it is better to do something late than not at all | You finally finished it — better late than never! |
| in no time | very quickly | Don't worry, I'll be back in no time. |
Effort & Study
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hit the books | to study hard | I have an exam on Monday, so I need to hit the books. |
| pull an all-nighter | to stay awake all night to study or work | I pulled an all-nighter to finish my essay. |
| learn by heart | to memorise | We had to learn the poem by heart. |
| practice makes perfect | doing something often makes you very good at it | Keep writing every day — practice makes perfect. |
| easier said than done | easy to talk about but difficult to do | "Just stop worrying." "That's easier said than done." |
| give it a shot | to try something | I've never surfed, but I'll give it a shot. |
Watch Out
- A rip-off is informal and comes from the phrasal verb rip someone off (to charge someone too much).
- In the long run is also acceptable in academic writing.
- Make ends meet has no article: not
make the ends meet.
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
subjectWeverbarrivedadverbin the nick of time.
↳ in the nick of time = at the last possible moment.
subjectMany familiesverbstruggle to make ends meet.
↳ make ends meet = have just enough money.
subjectIverbpulledobjectan all-nighter.
↳ pull an all-nighter = stay awake all night working.
Common Mistakes
I see him once in a blue sky.
→
I see him once in a blue moon.
Fixed form: once in a blue moon.
We arrived in the neck of time.
→
We arrived in the nick of time.
Fixed form: the nick of time.
It's hard to make the ends meet.
→
It's hard to make ends meet.
No article: make ends meet.
I learned the poem by my heart.
→
I learned the poem by heart.
Fixed form: by heart (no possessive).
Late is better than never.
→
Better late than never.
Fixed form: better late than never.