pay through the nose

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Verb

pay through the nose (third-person singular simple present pays through the nose, present participle paying through the nose, simple past and past participle paid through the nose)

1. (idiomatic) To pay an exorbitant or excessive amount, either in money or in some other manner.
   • 1918, Peter B. Kyne, The Valley of the Giants, ch. 36:

     "You'll pay through the nose for this, you scoundrel," Sexton whimpered. "I'll fix you, you traitor."

   • 1921, John Galsworthy, The Forsyte Saga, part 2, ch. 4:

     That fellow would milk the settlements somehow, and make his family pay through the nose to keep him out of bankruptcy.

   Synonym: pay over the odds

Translations

To pay a high price

• French: coûter la peau des fesses (fr), coûter les yeux de la tête (fr)
• Hungarian: borsos árat fizet

• Icelandic: blæða, punga út, greiða okurverð
• Latvian: maksāt baltu naudu, maksāt traku naudu
• Portuguese: pagar os olhos da cara
• Russian: дорого заплатить

See also

• cost an arm and a leg