dollar (redirected from Dollars)

*phony as a three-dollar bill and *queer as a three-dollar bill

phony; bogus. (*Also: as ~.) This guy's as phony as a three-dollar bill. The whole deal stinks. It's as queer as a three-dollar bill.

See also: bill

*sound as a dollar 

1. Cliché very secure and dependable. (*Also: as ~.) This investment is as sound as a dollar. I wouldn't put my money in a bank that isn't sound as a dollar.

2. Cliché sturdy and well-constructed. (*Also: as ~.) This house is as sound as a dollar. The garage is still sound as a dollar. Why tear it down?

See also: sound

bet someone dollars to doughnuts

Fig. to bet something of value against something worth considerably less. I bet you dollars to doughnuts that she is on time. He bet me dollars to doughnuts that it would snow today.

See also: bet, doughnut

bet one's bottom dollar and bet one's life

Fig. to be quite certain (about something). (A bottom dollar is the last dollar.) I'll be there. You bet your bottom dollar. I bet my bottom dollar you can't swim across the pool. You bet your life I can't swim that far.

See also: bet, bottom

day late and a dollar short

late and ill-prepared. Tommy, you seem to show up a day late and a dollar short all the time. You need to get organized.

See also: and, day, late, short

dollar for dollar

considering the amount of money involved; considering the cost or value. (Often seen in advertising.) Dollar for dollar, you cannot buy a better car. Dollar for dollar, this laundry detergent washes cleaner and brighter than any other product on the market.

He wears a ten-dollar hat on a five-cent head.

Rur. He is stupid but rich. He got the job because he's the boss's son, not because he's smart. He wears a ten-dollar hat on a five-cent head.

See also: hat, head, wear

sixty-four-dollar question

Fig. the most important question; the question that everyone wants to know the answer to. Who will win? Now, that is the sixty-four-dollar question. Now for the sixty-four-dollar question. What's the stock market going to do this year?

See also: question

the almighty dollar

Fig. the U.S. dollar, or the acquisition of money, when viewed as more important than anything else. Bill was a slave to the almighty dollar. It's the almighty dollar that drives Wall Street thinking.

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be as sound as a dollar  (American old-fashioned)

if a machine or an object is as sound as a dollar, it works well and is in very good condition The engine has been as sound as a dollar since it was overhauled.

See also: sound

dollar signs in somebody's eyes  (American & Australian)

if someone has dollar signs in their eyes, they are thinking about the money they could get Local taxi drivers approached us with dollar signs in their eyes.

See also: eye, sign

dollars to donuts/doughnuts  (American informal)

if you say that something will happen, dollars to donuts, you mean you are sure it will happen Dollars to donuts the company is going to fold. I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts she won't come to the party.

dollars-and-cents  (American & Australian)

if something is discussed or thought about in a dollars-and-cents way, the exact amounts of money involved are thought about (always before noun) The dollars-and-cents details of the new budget will be presented tomorrow by the government.

look/feel (like) a million dollars  (British, American & Australian) also look/feel (like) a million bucks (American)

to look or feel extremely attractive You look like a million dollars in that dress!

See Thanks a million!, be one in a million

See also: look, million

pay top dollar  (American)

to pay a lot of money for something Investors can expect to pay top dollar for the stock.

See also: pay, top

the pink pound  (British) also the pink dollar (American)

the money that is spent by people who are homosexual (= attracted to people of their own sex) Further proof of the strength of the pink pound can be seen in Brighton, where there are numerous successful gay clubs.

See also: pink, pound

the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question  (informal) also the million-dollar question (informal)

an important or difficult question which people do not know the answer to So will she marry him or not? - that's the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question.

See beg the question, call into question, pop the question

See also: question

you can bet your life/your bottom dollar

if you say you can bet your life that something will happen or is true, you mean you are completely certain You can bet your life she won't apologize.

See How much do you want to bet?

See also: bet, bottom, can, life

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a day late and a dollar short

not enough to be useful The government's attempts at reform were a day late and a dollar short.

See also: and, day, late, short

like a million dollars

extremely good All I need is a shower and a good night's sleep and I'll feel like a million dollars. She turned around, still smiling, and looking like a million dollars.

See also: like, million

you (can) bet your bottom dollar

you can be very sure If there's anything he can sue you for, you can bet your bottom dollar you'll be in court.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of bottom dollar (your last bit of money, which you would not risk losing)

See also: bet, bottom