Hi everyone I am Niharika, well it's time to learn new things. In today's lesson we
are gonna look at phrases to talk about expensive things. Well yesterday I went shopping and
I loved this beautiful dress but the moment I looked at the price tag, I realized it's
super expensive. So that brings me here to do this lesson for you. Now in English, we
all talk about money, right? We talk about fancy cars, expensive vacations, diamonds,
now all these things are so expensive. So in English, we have well many phrases that
you can use when you talk about expensive stuff. So let's get started.
The very first one that I have for you is, that's a bit steep. Now when do you use this
expression? Well when something is not very expensive but is just a little more expensive.
So you go to a store and you love these pair of shoes but you think that these pair of
shoes are a little expensive. So rather than saying, they're a little expensive, use this
expression, well these are a bit steep or that's a bit steep. So you can use this expression,
when something is a little high priced.
Alright, the second phrase that I have for you is, that's a bit pricey. Now this expression
is very similar to the one above. So rather than using the word steep you can also use
the word pricey and again it's used for the stuff which is not very expensive but a little
high priced. Alright so rather than saying, it's a little expensive, it's not very expensive,
use the expression, that's a bit steep or that's a bit pricey.
Let’s have a look at the third expression here, to cost an arm and leg. Now when do
you use this? When something is so expensive. When you have to pay too much to buy something.
So it is figurative phrase, like for example, my Mercedes car has cost me an arm and leg.
So imagine you have to buy something and it's so expensive that you gotta sell the most
important parts of your body. That’s the arm and leg, will you do that? So when something
is super expensive rather than saying or using the word expensive, use this expression. Well
this has cost me an arm and leg. Like this new diamond ring has cost me an arm and leg.
It means I have paid too much of money for this.
Alright now let's have a look at another expression here, to pay through the nose. Now here, it
doesn't literally mean that you remove cash out of your nose. No you don't do that. But
this expression is used when you pay too much of money for something. So in fact you know
this expression comes from the Irish. Well apparently the people in Ireland, well if
they didn't pay tax, the people or the tax offenders would have their nose slit. That’s
weird right? So I’m guessing that this expression comes from the Irish. So to pay through the
nose actually means to a pay a lot of money. Like these days, cars, to buy cars, you literally
have to pay through the nose because cars are so expensive these days or for example
the houses. Now to buy a house or to buy a property in my city, we literally have to
pay through the nose. It means we have to put in a lot of money. Let’s have a look
at another one here, exorbitant. Well that's how you pronounce it, it's exorbitant and
this word is used for something which is, unreasonably priced. Like again, the houses.
Like if you have to buy a house in my city here, well the property is priced exorbitantly.
It means it's just overpriced or unreasonably priced. Well expensive cars, well yes I do
feel that there are certain cars in the market, which are overpriced. So rather than saying,
they are expensive, I would use the word, they are exorbitant, right? Or probably you
are talking about, hotels. You know there are certain hotels that charge exorbitantly
for phone calls or they charge exorbitantly for night stays. So rather than saying that
these hotels are expensive, you can say they are exorbitant, alright?
Let’s have a look at another phrase here which is, daylight robbery. Now daylight robbery
is again a figurative phrase. It’s not literally we are talking about being robbed. Well day
light robbery is when something is over charged or overpriced. When you go for vacations,
you go to a new place, you don't know the people out there. You don't know how things
are priced. So at times you feel that people out there kind of identify you that you are
not from the locality or you're not from the city or country and they tend to over charge
you. So it's absolutely day light robbery. Like for example, a glass of juice is $10,
wow, that's day light robbery.so you go to a new city and there's this center where you
buy juice from and the glass of juice is for $10. Well I don't think so, a glass of juice
should be more than $2 but if it's $10, then it's absolutely day light robbery. So something
that you feel is overpriced or over charged. It means it's a day light robbery, alright?
And then the next expression that we have for you is, to break the bank. Now break the
bank, it means to spend the money or to spend all the money that you have in your account,
in your bank account. So my friends are going to Switzerland and they asked me, hey Niharika,
do you want to join us for this trip and what was my reply o this? I said I would love to
go to Switzerland but if you're planning it now then I think I gotta break the bank. It
means that it's gonna be a little expensive for me right now. Okay I can't really, afford
it and if I have to go to Switzerland, then I gotta spend all the savings that I have
in my bank account. So I gotta break the bank.so it obviously means, that something is expensive.
Alright to buy this new dress, I gotta break the bank. So break the bank, it means I have
to spend all the money that I have in my bank, which means this dress is so expensive, right?
So go ahead and use this phrase.
And then the last one that I have for you is, pay top dollar. Now when you use this
expression, it is actually used for the people who are highly paid. Like celebrities, when
they endorse brands, they are highly paid. So you can say that companies pay top dollar
to these celebrities means they are highly priced and they are highly paid to endorse
brands. Or I would say, this Louis Vuitton bag, well I paid top dollar for it. It means
this big brand, this nice bag that I bought of Louis Vuitton, well I paid too much of
money for this. So go ahead and use this expression when you are talking about paying for something
that is very, very expensive.
Okay so this brings me to the end of this lesson, all of these eight phrases can be
used for the things which are super expensive. Well except for the first two which are not
very expensive. But yes use these expressions and this will help you to speak fluently and
confidently. I'll be back with a new lesson for you, till then you take care.