The A to Z English Podcast Idioms A to Z 7: Idioms with money 004
In this episode, Kevin and Jack discuss three more idioms about money 💰
to be in the black/be in the red
to make ends meet
to have a Midas touch
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Directions: Use each idiom in a sentence.
1.
2.
3.
Full Transcript:
Jack
You are listening to the A-Z English podcast.
Kevin
Welcome to an A-Z English idioms from A-Z or. Today we're going to talk about three different English idioms first, starting with a quick example.
Kevin
Then we'll explain them and try and define and tell you how you too can use these idioms in your conversations.
Kevin
Remember to check our website for study guides and more.
Kevin
We also have links to our WhatsApp, Facebook pages and all our other social media so you 2 can join the conversation.
Jack
So, Kev, how's business?
Kevin
Not so good, man.
Kevin
These days I'm always in the red.
Kevin
I can barely make ends meet.
Jack
Oh man, I'm sorry to hear that.
Jack
You know, mark, his coffee shop is doing really well.
Jack
That guys got the Midas touch.
Kevin
I wish I was so lucky.
발표자 1
Right.
Kevin
So we had three idioms in there, and if anyone was listening, can you hear what they are?
Kevin
I know they were.
Kevin
They come quick.
Kevin
First was to be in the red, or you can be in the black as well in.
Kevin
The black or.
Kevin
Red the next is to make ends meet and finally.
Kevin
To have a Midas touch.
Kevin
So let's talk about these color ones first.
Kevin
To be in the black or in the red.
Kevin
What do these mean?
Jack
Yeah, so these.
Jack
These come down to kind of the old style of accounting.
Jack
So when you we used to do accounting books, we would, if you were making a profit, you would use a black pen.
Jack
To write down the numbers of the money that you have made.
Kevin
So it's like money coming in, yeah.
Jack
Right, the money coming in or the elders?
Kevin
Yeah, I made 10 mixtures.
Jack
Or the money.
Jack
Leftover like the you know, after you pay all your expenses and everything, and then whatever is leftover, that's your profit.
Jack
But, and your profit is, it was written in black traditionally.
Jack
Now everything is done on computers, but back in the day you would put it, you'd write it in black.
Jack
And what about red?
Jack
If you wrote the number in red, what does that mean?
Kevin
Well, I mean, I think we can probably guess this one right.
Kevin
If you see a red light when you're driving, it means, you know, caution.
Kevin
Be careful, right?
Kevin
So red for money probably means that's bad.
Kevin
You're you're negative money, you don't have any money.
Jack
That's how much money you owe.
Jack
You have to still pay and.
Kevin
Right.
Jack
Yeah, and so if you're in the red, that means that you have you owe more money than you have.
Kevin
Yeah, that's no good.
Jack
You know, it's no good, but if you're in the black, you have more money than you.
Jack
Oh, and you can buy things.
Jack
And so that's a that's a good thing.
Kevin
So it's always better to be in the black if if someone is in the red, that means they're struggling with their business or or whatever it is.
Jack
And yeah, oh, sorry.
Jack
I was just going to say during the during coronavirus you would hear this expression a lot because a lot of companies were in the red because of the pandemic.
Kevin
Because people aren't shopping and things.
Jack
So yeah, exactly.
Kevin
Yep, true.
Kevin
All right.
Kevin
So then, how about making ends meet?
Kevin
So what's an end?
Kevin
How do we what is an end and how?
Kevin
Does it meet?
Jack
Yeah, making an end pizza.
Kevin
Yeah, this is a tough one to get.
Jack
Yeah, this is a hard one.
Jack
This one is a very common expression that we use in English, though very common.
Kevin
Actually, yeah, this one.
Kevin
Yeah, one that I definitely would use more more regularly than some others.
Jack
Yeah, so making ends meet means earning enough money to pay your bills.
Jack
That's it, basically.
Jack
And so you might you might hear the expression it's difficult to make ends meet means it's hard to earn enough money to pay.
Jack
All of my bills, right?
Jack
My rent, my car payment, food, insurance, my children school fees, all these things are expenses that I have.
Kevin
Right, all your bills.
Jack
And so that means I have to.
Jack
Earn that much money in order to pay for all these things, and if I can pay for all of them, I make ends meet.
Jack
That's a good thing.
Jack
Make ends meet.
Jack
Everything is paid for in full.
Jack
But if I can't make ends meet, that means I'm not able to pay all of my bills.
Jack
For all of my expenses.
Kevin
Right, yeah.
Kevin
And if you if you make ends meet, it means that you're in the black like we just talked about, but usually not by a lot.
Kevin
You're not making a ton of money.
Kevin
You're not rich, right?
Kevin
If you're rich, you're not going to be talking about making ends meet.
Kevin
Making ends meet is like I can pay all my bills, I've got my food, I'm OK, but I'm not saving a ton or I don't have a lot of extra money, but I can make ends meet.
Kevin
I'm OK right here. close.
Jack
Yeah, exactly.
Jack
You're just making ends meet.
Jack
But that's if something bad happens.
Jack
You know, if your car breaks down or.
Kevin
Yeah, you're going to be in the.
Kevin
Red very quick.
Jack
You might be in the red.
Jack
So you had.
Jack
So making ends meet is not exactly being super successful.
Jack
It's just surviving.
Kevin
Right.
Jack
You know?
Kevin
Right, exactly, exactly.
Jack
You're surviving.
Kevin
And then last, and this is more the opposite of that, is to have a Midas touch.
Kevin
And so someone has this, you have the Midas touch.
Kevin
And this is from a really old story.
Kevin
I don't know if our listeners would know.
Kevin
The story of King Midas.
Kevin
And we don't need to say the whole story, but basically the story.
Kevin
King Midas was a king way back in the day, or at least in this story.
Kevin
And everything that he would touch would turn to gold, right?
Kevin
So if he touched his desk, boom, gold desk, you know, if he, if he touched his glass, boom, gold glass and and there were problems and everything with the story.
Kevin
But we don't need to get into that.
Kevin
I think you can guess then what uh, Midas touch means, right?
Kevin
If everything you touch.
Kevin
Turns into gold.
Kevin
That's probably a good thing.
Kevin
Right, you've got a lot of gold.
Kevin
That's very lucky.
Jack
Yeah, and have you ever had a friend who no matter what kind of business that they start, it always ends up successful?
Jack
You know, so this person starts a business or starts a job and they make a lot of money and everything is just works out perfectly.
발표자 1
Right.
Jack
They have the Midas touch, you know?
Jack
It's just like everything you touch turns to gold and so.
Kevin
Everything just works out.
Kevin
It succeeds.
Kevin
Successful, yeah.
Jack
Yeah, we're often, oftentimes we become jealous of these people because are they lucky?
Jack
Are they just very talented?
Jack
Are they super smart?
Jack
What is their secret?
Jack
Why is why does everything?
Jack
When I try, I'm in the red.
Jack
When they try, they got the Midas touch, you know?
Jack
They're always in the black.
Kevin
Right.
Jack
So yeah, it's a funny thing.
Jack
Some people are just really good at business, you know, just good at making money.
Jack
So they have the Midas touch.
Kevin
Yeah, so I I wish I had a Midas touch, that's for sure.
Jack
Yeah, right.
Kevin
All right, so everybody that the three idioms there were, again to be in the black or in the red, to make ends meet and to have a Midas.
Kevin
Touch and these are some great idioms that we use from time to time in English.
Kevin
So come and join us in our WhatsApp or Facebook groups and try and use these idioms for for yourself.
Kevin
Give us an example of where or when you might use them.
Kevin
And remember, if you're on Apple Podcasts, if you can give us a good review, that would be.
Kevin
Really helpful for other people to get some more idioms from A-Z. We'll see you next.
Kevin
Time. Bye bye.
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