10 Idioms with PAY

10 Useful Idioms with PAY (with Clear Meanings & Examples)

Money makes the world go round… and it also makes English full of idioms.

We don’t just pay. In English, we:

• pay through the nose
• pay an arm and a leg
• pay top dollar

and sometimes even rob Peter to pay Paul 😄

These expressions are very common in everyday English and also appear in Cambridge exams (B2 First, C1 Advanced), especially in reading, listening, and Use of English tasks.

In this lesson, you’ll learn 10 useful idioms with the verb pay, with clear explanations and natural example sentences.

Pay / cost an arm and a leg

Meaning: to be extremely expensive.

• Do we really have to stay in this hotel? I don’t want to pay an arm and a leg just for accommodation.
• We wanted to buy new furniture, but everything in that shop costs an arm and a leg.

Pay your dues

Meaning: to work hard for a long time or be punished for something before you deserve success or respect.

• Harry worked hard for over 40 years and paid his dues. Now he can finally retire.
• Our neighbour spent three years in prison. He paid his dues for not paying taxes.

Pay over the odds

Meaning: to pay more than something is really worth.

• Many people pay over the odds when buying property abroad because they don’t check local prices.
• I’m sure I paid over the odds, but it was the only bike repair shop in the area.

Pay through the nose

Meaning: to pay far too much money for something.

• Don’t buy travel insurance there — you’ll pay through the nose.
• Some people pay through the nose to live in the city centre.

Pay for itself

Meaning: to save or earn enough money over time to cover its own cost.

• The solar panels were expensive, but they’ll pay for themselves in a few years.
• An electric car might cost more at first, but it usually pays for itself in the long run.

Pay good money for something

Meaning: to spend a lot of money on something (and usually expect good quality).

• We paid good money for this TV, so I expect it to last more than two years.
• Tourists pay good money to visit the old castle.

He who pays the piper calls the tune

Meaning: the person who provides the money gets to decide what happens.

• The company is paying for the trip, so we can’t complain — he who pays the piper calls the tune.
• It may sound old-fashioned, but it’s still true: he who pays the piper calls the tune.

Pay top dollar

Meaning: to pay a very high price (especially in American English).

• The company paid top dollar for an office in the city centre.
• We paid top dollar for dinner, but the food and service were amazing.

Pay court to somebody

Meaning: (old-fashioned) to show romantic interest in someone and try to impress them.

• Sara encouraged Gary to pay court to Gloria because she thought they’d be a good match.
• In old novels, young men often had to pay court to a lady before asking her to marry them.

Rob Peter to pay Paul

Meaning: to take money from one place to pay another debt, without really solving the problem.

• They kept the business alive by robbing Peter to pay Paul, borrowing from one bank to pay another.
• There’s no point robbing Peter to pay Paul — in the end, you still owe the money.

Exam tip (B2–C1)

Idioms like these are perfect for:

• Making your writing more natural and expressive
• Understanding reading and listening texts more easily
• Impressing examiners in speaking (when used naturally and not too often)

Want more?

You can also learn:

👉 Collocations and phrasal verbs with PAY

👉 Money idioms for B2–C1

👉 Advanced vocabulary for everyday life and exams