Idiom Topics

  • The Ubiquitous Essentials

    10
    • On the other hand
    • At the end of the day
    • In the long run
    • Bear in mind
    • A piece of cake
    • Keep an eye on
    • Out of the blue
    • Rule of thumb
    • So far, so good
    • Behind the scenes

  • Everyday Casual & Workplace

    10
    • Under the weather
    • Call it a day
    • Up in the air
    • Wrap your head around
    • Break the ice
    • Get out of hand
    • Go the extra mile
    • Touch base
    • Hit the nail on the head
    • Cut corners

  • Problem Solving & Interaction

    10
    • See eye to eye
    • Read between the lines
    • Take it with a grain of salt
    • Get the hang of it
    • Give the benefit of the doubt
    • The elephant in the room
    • Hit the ground running
    • Play it by ear
    • Bite the bullet
    • Sit on the fence

  • Decisions & Perspectives

    9
    • Jump on the bandwagon
    • Cross that bridge when we come to it
    • The best of both worlds
    • A blessing in disguise
    • Once in a blue moon
    • Pull someone's leg
    • Miss the boat
    • Better late than never
    • Get your act together

  • Colorful & Traditional

    10
    • Spill the beans
    • Let the cat out of the bag
    • Bite off more than you can chew
    • Go back to the drawing board
    • Barking up the wrong tree
    • Actions speak louder than words
    • A penny for your thoughts
    • Break a leg
    • Hit the sack
    • Beat around the bush

  • Academic & Formal Discourse

    10
    • Bear fruit
    • Pave the way
    • Shed light on
    • Go hand in hand
    • Tip the scales
    • Fly in the face of
    • Bring to the table
    • Turn a blind eye
    • Draw a blank
    • State of the art

  • Emotions & Reactions

    10
    • Over the moon
    • Down in the dumps
    • On edge
    • Blow off steam
    • Keep your cool
    • Drive someone up the wall
    • On cloud nine
    • A weight off my shoulders
    • At your wits' end
    • Thrilled to bits

  • Effort, Success, & Failure

    10
    • Start from scratch
    • Pass with flying colors
    • Fall flat
    • Go down the drain
    • Keep your head above water
    • Pay off
    • Throw in the towel
    • Make headway
    • Uphill battle
    • Back to square one

  • Time, Speed, & Urgency

    10
    • Beat the clock
    • At the eleventh hour
    • Around the clock
    • In the nick of time
    • Drag your feet
    • Time flies
    • Make up for lost time
    • Call time on
    • Ahead of the curve
    • On the spur of the moment

  • Resources, Money, & Value

    10
    • Make ends meet
    • Foot the bill
    • Break the bank
    • Tighten your belt
    • Bang for your buck
    • A drop in the ocean
    • Make a killing
    • On a shoestring budget
    • Worth your weight in gold
    • Pay top dollar

Foot the bill

Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Foot the bill" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourResources, Money, & Value collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.

Resources, Money, & Value

Foot the bill

Foot the bill
To pay for something, especially an expensive item or a cost that someone else has incurred.
History & Origin

The phrase originates from the late 15th or early 16th century, long before modern calculators. Account tallies, receipts, or bills were listed vertically on a long sheet of parchment, and the grand total was calculated and written at the very bottom, which was traditionally referred to as the 'foot' of the page. Therefore, to 'foot' a bill literally meant to sum up the total at the bottom and, by extension, sign your name to accept the legal obligation to pay it.

Examples
Workplace Email

Please submit your travel expenses by Friday so that accounting can foot the bill for the regional conference.

Casual Conversation

My older sister offered to take me out for my birthday and foot the bill at that new sushi restaurant downtown.

Academic Writing

Economists debate whether current taxpayers or future generations will ultimately foot the bill for the massive infrastructure project.

News/Media

Following the severe storm damage, city officials are looking into whether the state government will foot the bill for emergency repairs.

Formal Speech

While we all desire advanced corporate training programs, we must consider which department is going to foot the bill.

Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?

A. Because the restaurant was so expensive, we decided to foot the bill into four equal parts.

B. The company graciously offered to foot the bill for all our relocation and moving expenses.

C. I need to go to the bank to foot the bill because my wallet is completely empty.

D. She was so angry that she footed the bill right out of the room during the meeting.