🗓️ Idiom: Paid Peanuts
💬 Meaning
- To receive a very small or unfairly low amount of money for your work.
- It often implies being underpaid for the effort, skills, or value provided.
🧠 Example Sentences
- Many interns are expected to work full-time but get paid peanuts.
- She left the job because she was tired of being paid peanuts for her hard work.
- You can’t expect top talent when you’re only offering peanuts in salary.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom likely originates from the expression “If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys,” suggesting that low pay attracts unqualified workers. “Peanuts” as a metaphor for something insignificant has been used since the early 20th century.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
Even though he had years of experience, he was still being __________ peanuts.
Answer
paid
2. Choose the correct meaning of “paid peanuts”:
A) To be rewarded with nuts
B) To receive very low wages
C) To get bonus compensation
Answer
B) To receive very low wages
3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:
“She earns very little money at her current job.” → Change the sentence using: paid peanuts
Answer
She gets paid peanuts at her current job.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
👉 HR and Recruitment Idioms
👉 Business English Idioms List
👉 Student Space
👉 Tutor Toolkit
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