Cambridge Engels ~ word skills unit 11

pretty much/well

almost

on the breadline

very poor; with very little money to live on

fork sth out (on sth)

spend a lot of money on sth, usually money you don’t want to spend (syn. pay sth out)

be worse off

be poorer, unhappier, etc. than before

fall back on sth

have sth to use when in difficulty (in this case money)

lay/get your hands on sth

find or get sth that you want or really need

pay sth off

finish paying money that is owed for sth

pay your (own) way

pay for everything yourself without relying on others

bail sb out

rescue sb from a difficult situation, usually with money

land sb/yourself in sth

get sb/yourself into a difficult situation

off your own bat

it is your idea and you do it without help from others

err on the side of caution

be careful and not take many risks

have money/time to play with

have enough money/time for doing sth

as time goes by

as time passes

hold on to/onto sth

keep sth; not give or sell sth to sb else

come to sth

add up to a total amount

bear fruit

have a succesful result

with your eyes open

knowing that there could be problems in a situation

add sth on (to sth)

include sth extra