English grammar
Money idioms
Talk about money with common English idioms.
From the scene Doing the sums
In short
Money idioms: do the sums, be worth it, tighten your belt, cost an arm and a leg, splash out.
Your turn
Which one goes with to be worth the cost or effort?
Options: to do the sums · to tighten your belt · to be worth it
Show answer
to be worth the cost or effort → to be worth it
How it works
To do the sums is to work out whether you can afford something; to be worth it means the result justifies the cost or effort.
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
I've been (blank) the sums all night.
Options: doing · making · taking
Show answer
I've been doing the sums all night.
Llevo toda la noche haciendo números.
Good to know
To tighten your belt is to spend less; something that costs an arm and a leg is very expensive; to splash out is to spend generously on a treat.
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
It's worth it, but we'll have to tighten our (blank).
Options: belts · buckles · waists
Show answer
It's worth it, but we'll have to tighten our belts.
Sale a cuenta, pero habrá que apretarse el cinturón.
to work out the costs and income to do the sums
Tomás
Darling, we have to do the sums. We can't go splashing out.
Mi vida, hay que hacer números. No podemos tirar la casa por la ventana.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Darling, we have (blank). We can't go splashing out.
Options: to be worth it · to tighten your belt · to do the sums
Show answer
Tomás
Darling, we have to do the sums. We can't go splashing out.
Mi vida, hay que hacer números. No podemos tirar la casa por la ventana.
to be worth the cost or effort to be worth it
Your turn
What goes with to be worth it?
Options: to spend less, to cut back · to be worth the cost or effort · to work out the costs and income
Show answer
to be worth it → to be worth the cost or effort
to spend less, to cut back to tighten your belt
to be very expensive to cost an arm and a leg
Your turn
What goes with to cost an arm and a leg?
Options: to be very expensive · to work out the costs and income · to be worth the cost or effort
Show answer
to cost an arm and a leg → to be very expensive
to spend a lot on a treat to splash out
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| to work out the costs and income | to do the sums |
|---|---|
| to be worth the cost or effort | to be worth it |
| to spend less, to cut back | to tighten your belt |
| to be very expensive | to cost an arm and a leg |
| to spend a lot on a treat | to splash out |
More lines from the story
- TomásI've been doing the sums all night.Llevo toda la noche haciendo números.
- TomásIt's worth it, but we'll have to tighten our belts.Sale a cuenta, pero habrá que apretarse el cinturón.
- TomásLove, that costs an arm and a leg!¡Amor, eso cuesta un ojo de la cara!
- TomásHello? Marisa? An Italian coffee machine?¿Bueno? ¿Marisa? ¿Una cafetera italiana?
- TomásShe says she can't. With the baby, it won't do up any more.Dice que no puede. Con el bebé, ya no le cierra.