economics

• Make ends meet

  To earn just enough money to cover essential living expenses with no extra funds.

• Tighten your belt

  To reduce spending and live more frugally due to financial difficulties or economic hardship.

• shoot up

  To grow, rise, or increase very quickly and suddenly.

• White elephant

  A white elephant is a valuable possession that is difficult and expensive to maintain and is ultimately useless or unprofitable.

• New deal

  A series of economic programs and reforms implemented in the United States during the Great Depression, or more broadly, any fresh approach or arrangement offered to resolve a difficult situation.

• For a song

  To obtain or sell something for a remarkably low price, often much less than its actual value.

• A rising tide lifts all boats

  This proverb suggests that overall improvements in an economy or society benefit everyone, even those who may not be directly involved in the growth.

• Print money

  To generate a lot of money or profit with little effort or risk.

• Tighten one's belt

  To reduce spending and live more frugally due to economic hardship.

• Live beyond one's means

  To spend more money than one earns or has available, typically resulting in debt or financial instability.

• Financial muscle

  The extensive monetary resources and economic power that an individual, company, or country possesses, enabling them to achieve significant objectives or influence outcomes.

• The gold standard

  A benchmark of excellence against which other things are judged; the best or most reliable example of something.

• Black market

  The black market refers to an illegal system for buying and selling goods or services, often to avoid taxes or government regulations.

• Bubble burst

  Bubble burst describes the sudden and significant collapse of an overinflated economic or financial market, often leading to widespread losses.

• Main Street vs Wall Street

  This phrase describes the conflict of interests between the everyday public, small businesses, and the general economy (Main Street) versus the powerful financial institutions, investment banks, and the stock market (Wall Street).

• Let's get this bread

  This phrase is an enthusiastic exclamation meaning to earn money or succeed in an endeavor, often implying collective effort.

• Volatility

  The tendency of something, especially a market or situation, to change rapidly and unpredictably.

• Liquidity crunch

  A liquidity crunch occurs when there is a severe shortage of readily available cash or easily convertible assets in a market or for a company, making it difficult to meet short-term financial obligations.

• Land rush

  A sudden, frantic race or competition to acquire land, especially when newly available for settlement or development.

• Gold rush

  A gold rush describes a period of rapid migration and intense prospecting for gold in a newly discovered mining area, often leading to significant social and economic upheaval.

• From hand to mouth

  Living with barely enough money or resources to meet basic daily needs, with no savings or surplus.

• There's no free lunch

  No benefit or gain comes without some form of cost, effort, or consequence, even if it isn't immediately obvious.

• A plentiful supply

  A large and abundant amount of something readily available.

• A period of prosperity

  A specific span of time characterized by economic growth, abundance, and general well-being for a society or entity.

• To live from hand to mouth

  To have just enough money or food to survive on, without any surplus or savings for the future.

• Waste not, want not

  This proverb advises that by being careful and not wasting resources, one will avoid future scarcity or deprivation.

• Don't throw good money after bad

  It means to avoid wasting more money on an investment or project that has already proven unsuccessful and is unlikely to improve.

• Sacrificing the long-term for the short-term

  This describes the act of prioritizing immediate gains or solutions over sustainable future benefits, often leading to detrimental consequences down the line.

• Shared prosperity

  A state where economic growth and its benefits are equitably distributed among all members of society, ensuring everyone has opportunities to improve their well-being.

• Trickle-down effect

  This economic theory posits that tax cuts or other benefits for businesses and the wealthy will stimulate the economy, with the resulting prosperity eventually benefiting everyone, including the poor.

• The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer

  This phrase describes an economic phenomenon where the wealthy accumulate more assets and resources, while the less fortunate experience a decline in their financial well-being.

• Multiplier effect

  The multiplier effect describes the proportional increase in overall economic output that results from an initial change in spending or investment.

• Potentially disruptive force

  An entity, factor, or situation that possesses the inherent capacity to cause significant disturbance, change, or upheaval to an existing system, market, or status quo.

• Hidden asset

  A valuable resource, skill, or advantage that is not immediately apparent or publicly recognized.

• A rip-off

  Something that is outrageously overpriced or an act of exploiting someone through unfair pricing or a dishonest deal.

• Exorbitant price

  An exorbitant price is one that is unreasonably high, far exceeding the true value or a fair market rate.

• Highway robbery

  An excessively high price or an unfair deal that feels like a blatant act of theft.

• Cost a fortune

  To be extremely expensive or require a very large amount of money.

• Market inefficiency

  A situation in which a market fails to allocate resources efficiently, leading to suboptimal outcomes for society.

• Exploiting price differences

  Taking advantage of varying prices for the same item or asset across different markets to make a profit.

• Risk-free profit

  A gain obtained without any possibility of loss or exposure to financial uncertainty, often considered an ideal or theoretical construct in economics.

• Dirt poor

  To be dirt poor means to be extremely poor or utterly destitute, possessing very little to nothing of value.

• Greater fool

  A person who buys an overpriced asset from another, believing they can sell it for an even higher price to someone else.

• Give a handout

  To provide financial assistance or material goods, often as charity or welfare, without expectation of repayment.

• Subsidize

  To provide financial assistance or support to an industry, business, or individual, often by a government.