Learn 20 Finance Idioms
Hey there! 👋
Have you ever sat in a finance meeting or read a report and heard phrases like “cook the books” or “in the red” and wondered what everyone was talking about? You’re definitely not the only one.
These finance idioms appear constantly in accounting, banking, and business conversations. Once you learn finance idioms, financial discussions become much clearer, and you start sounding more natural and confident in professional settings.
That’s exactly why I created this hub page to learn finance idioms. It brings together the most common expressions my students ask about, all in one place. Each idiom includes a clear explanation, a realistic workplace example, and simple tips to help you recognise and use it correctly.
Use this page as a reference, explore the idioms below, and return to it whenever you want to understand financial language more easily in English.
Teacher Rob 🙋♂️
Financial Reporting & Transparency
1. 👉 Cooking the Books (V)
Meaning: Change financial records to hide the truth.
Example: The manager was caught cooking the books to make profits look higher.
2. 👉 Fudging the Numbers (V)
Meaning: Slightly change numbers to mislead people.
Example: He was accused of fudging the numbers in the sales report.
3. 👉 Balance the Books (V)
Meaning: Not spend more that you earn.
Example: The management cut expenses to balance the books.
4. 👉 Paint a Rosy Picture (V)
Meaning: Make a situation look better than it really is.
Example: The director painted a rosy picture during the investor meeting.
5. 👉 Creative Accounting (N)
Meaning: Using accounting tricks that are legal but misleading.
Example: The company used creative accounting to increase reported profits.
✅ Quick Quiz
Profit, Loss & Business Performance
6. 👉 In the Red (Adj)
Meaning: Losing money or in debt.
Example: The business is still in the red after a slow quarter.
7. 👉 In the Black (Adj)
Meaning: Making money or profitable.
Example: After cutting costs, the company is back in the black.
8. 👉 Throw Money Down the Drain (V)
Meaning: Waste money on something useless.
Example: Buying that software was throwing money down the drain.
9. 👉 Bleed Cash (V)
Meaning: Lose money very quickly.
Example: The startup was bleeding cash with no sales coming in.
10. 👉 Take a Hit (V)
Meaning: Suffer a loss or setback.
Example: Sales took a hit after the price increase.
✅ Quick Quiz
Quick Quiz: Finance Idioms
Costs, Challenges & Competition
11. 👉 Fight an Uphill Battle (V)
Meaning: Face a very difficult situation.
Example: Small shops are fighting an uphill battle against big brands.
12. 👉 Cost an Arm and a Leg (V)
Meaning: Be extremely expensive.
Example: The new office equipment cost an arm and a leg.
13. 👉 Make Money Hand Over Fist (V)
Meaning: Earn money very quickly.
Example: The company made money hand over fist during the launch.
14. 👉 Rake It In (V)
Meaning: Earn a lot of money easily.
Example: The firm is raking it in from online sales.
15. 👉 Make a Killing (V)
Meaning: Make a very large profit.
Example: Investors made a killing when the shares rose.
✅ Quick Quiz
Savings, Stability & Results
16. 👉 Cash Cow (N)
Meaning: A product or business that earns steady profits.
Example: Their main app is a real cash cow.
17. 👉 Nest Egg (N)
Meaning: Money saved for the future.
Example: She built a nest egg for retirement.
18. 👉 Skeletons in the Closet (N)
Meaning: Hidden problems or secrets.
Example: Buyers wanted to check for any skeletons in the closet.
19. 👉 Rainy Day Fund (N)
Meaning: Money saved for emergencies.
Example: Every business should have a rainy day fund.
20. 👉 The Bottom Line (N)
Meaning: The final result or most important fact.
Example: The bottom line is that the company is profitable.
✅ Quick Quiz
There you go – a practical set of finance idioms you can start recognising and using right away.
You’ll soon spot these idioms in financial reports, emails, and meetings — and now you’ll understand exactly what they mean and how to use them naturally yourself.
Which one surprised you the most? My personal favourite is “cook the books” — it’s a funny expression for something very serious in accounting! 😅
Let me know your favourite finance idiom in the comments below. I always enjoy hearing from you.
Happy learning,
Teacher Rob 🙋♂️
Need help learning the idioms?
Check out my 👉 Best Way to Learn Idioms Quickly Page
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