Money Idioms
Swedish money idiom, literal glosses included — gå som katten kring het gröt, dra det kortaste strået.
Money idioms for the negotiation table: pengar som gräs or barskrapad, prutning and övertag — through spika affären to the eternal law: pengar styr.
- 1
ha pengar som gräs
to have money to burn
Tip: lit. 'have money like grass'
- 2
hålla hårt i plånboken
to be tight with money
Tip: lit. 'hold hard on the wallet'
- 3
vara barskrapad
to be flat broke
Tip: lit. 'be bare-scraped'
- 4
få ekonomin att gå ihop
to make ends meet
Tip: lit. 'make the finances go together'
- 5
tjäna grovt
to earn a packet
Tip: lit. 'earn coarsely'
- 6
jobba för en spottstyver
to work for peanuts
Tip: lit. 'work for a spit-stiver'
- 7
spara till sämre tider
to save for a rainy day
Tip: lit. 'save for worse times'
- 8
leva över sina tillgångar
to live beyond your means
Tip: lit. 'live above one's assets'
- 9
gå back
to make a loss
Tip: lit. 'go back'
- 10
gå plus
to be in profit
Tip: lit. 'go plus'
- 11
kosta hus och hem
to cost the earth
Tip: lit. 'cost house and home'
- 12
vara ett ockerpris
to be an extortionate price
Tip: lit. 'be a usury price'
- 13
pruta
to haggle
Tip: lit. 'to bargain down'
- 14
vara i hamn
to be in the bag
Tip: lit. 'be in harbour'
- 15
dra det kortaste strået
to get the short end of the stick
Tip: lit. 'draw the shortest straw'
- 16
ha tur i oturen
to be lucky in bad luck
Tip: lit. 'have luck in the un-luck'
- 17
skicka någon fram och tillbaka
to give someone the runaround
Tip: lit. 'send someone back and forth'
- 18
gå som katten kring het gröt
to beat about the bush
Tip: lit. 'walk like the cat around hot porridge'
- 19
gå rakt på sak
to get straight to the point
Tip: lit. 'go straight on matter'
- 20
vara i knipa
to be in a fix
Tip: lit. 'be in a pinch'
- 21
ha övertaget
to have the upper hand
Tip: lit. 'have the over-take'
- 22
vara mest snack
to be all talk
Tip: lit. 'be mostly talk'
- 23
sätta handling bakom orden
to put your money where your mouth is
Tip: lit. 'put action behind the words'
- 24
vara på samma våglängd
to be on the same wavelength
Tip: lit. the same
- 25
hålla det under locket
to keep it under wraps
Tip: lit. 'keep it under the lid'
- 26
spika affären
to seal the deal
Tip: lit. 'nail the deal'
- 27
vara värd sin vikt i guld
to be worth its weight in gold
Tip: lit. the same
- 28
kasta goda pengar efter dåliga
to throw good money after bad
Tip: lit. the same
- 29
kosta mer än det smakar
to be worth its weight in trouble
Tip: lit. 'cost more than it tastes'
- 30
vara utfattig
to be dirt poor
Tip: lit. 'be out-poor'
- 31
bada i pengar
to be rolling in it
Tip: lit. 'bathe in money'
- 32
ha djupa fickor
to have deep pockets
Tip: lit. the same
- 33
hålla i pengarna
to tighten the purse strings
Tip: lit. 'hold on to the money'
- 34
spräcka budgeten
to blow the budget
Tip: lit. 'burst the budget'
- 35
gå jämnt upp
to break even
Tip: lit. 'go evenly up'
- 36
ligga på minus
to be in the red figures
Tip: lit. 'lie on minus'
- 37
pengarna brinner i fickan på honom
money burns a hole in his pocket
Tip: lit. the same
- 38
räkna varenda krona
to count the pennies
Tip: lit. 'count every single krona'
- 39
vara värd en liten förmögenhet
to be worth a small fortune
Tip: lit. the same
- 40
få betala dyrt
to pay through the nose
Tip: lit. 'have to pay dearly'
- 41
få det för en billig peng
to get it for a song
Tip: lit. 'get it for a cheap coin'
- 42
vara en tuff förhandlare
to drive a hard bargain
Tip: lit. 'be a tough negotiator'
- 43
mötas på mitten
to meet in the middle
Tip: lit. the same
- 44
kalla det jämnt
to call it quits
Tip: lit. 'call it even'
- 45
gå med vinst
to be quids in
Tip: lit. 'go with profit'
- 46
ett erbjudande man inte kan tacka nej till
an offer you can't refuse
Tip: lit. the same
- 47
pengar styr
money talks
Tip: lit. 'money steers'