throw money down the drain
Meaning: To waste money.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “Paying for a gym you never go to is throwing money down the drain.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Money washed away into the drain is gone for good. The phrase is common from the 20th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- Polish: wyrzucić pieniądze w błoto — literally: to throw money into mud
- French: Jeter l'argent par les fenêtres — literally: To throw money out of the windows
More idioms — Daily Life
- all fired up — Very excited or enthusiastic.
- the oldest trick in the book — A very familiar trick that should not fool anyone.
- at cross purposes — To misunderstand each other or work toward conflicting goals.
- a Bible thumper — A person who is aggressively or tiresomely religious.
- be a doormat — To let others treat one badly without protest.
- thick as thieves — Very close friends who share secrets.
More English idioms
- fire in the belly — Strong ambition and drive.
- a slippery slope — A small step that leads to worse and worse consequences.
- snug as a bug in a rug — Very warm and comfortable.
- breathe down someone's neck — To watch someone too closely, or to be close behind them.
- champ at the bit — To be impatient to start.
- one swallow does not make a summer — One good sign does not mean things will continue that way.