Example
“Using the credit card to pay the loan just robs Peter to pay Paul.”
Recorded usage
These full forms were measured in COCA in 2016–2017. Counts apply to the quoted form, not every use of this idiom; overlapping forms are not added together.
Grouped source variants; editorially classified here as an idiom. Usage counts are separate from CEFR difficulty.
Dictionary details
Related idioms
Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.
a rip-off
CEFR B1Something that is far too expensive for what it is.
cost an arm and a leg
CEFR B1To be extremely expensive.
money doesn't grow on trees
CEFR B1Used to remind someone that money is limited and hard to earn.
tighten your belt
CEFR B1To spend less money because you have less than before.
break the bank
CEFR B2To cost so much that it uses up all your money.
cost the earth
CEFR B2to be extraordinarily expensive
Source methodology
Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.