Have you ever had this experience? You buy an item of clothing in an online sale. You’re really excited! But when it arrives, you notice that it doesn’t fit well or the color is unflattering. You try to return it to the store, but you’re told that they won’t give refunds on sale items! Oh no! You get a sinking feeling as you realize its money down the drain. When shopping, it’s important to keep this famous expression in mind — let the buyer beware. This just means you should be careful about what you buy so you don’t waste your money!
Watch the video below to learn more about today’s English idiom.
Transcript
Money down the drain? That sounds like a pretty bad idea!
That’s right! Money down the drain is a phrase which means a waste of money or poorly spent money.
Let’s look at a few example sentences:
- I bought the cat a robotic toy mouse, but she hasn’t played with it once! Well, that’s money down the drain!
- These shoes are already falling apart! They’re only two weeks old! That’s €80 down the drain!
- These batteries are dead already? We only bought them yesterday! That’s money down the drain, that is!
So, there we are. When was the last time you threw money down the drain?
Practice
Are you ready to practice what you’ve learned? Try answer the questions below using today’s expression.
- When you were a teenager, what did you buy that was a waste of money?
- Do you have any friends that handle their money poorly? Why do you think so?
- What bad habits do people have that cause them to waste a significant amount of money?
- Were you ever disappointed by a purchase? What was the problem?
- What luxury items do many people spend a lot of money on that you feel are a waste of money?
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