price (redirected from pricing)

*a price on one's head

a reward for one's capture. (*Typically: get ~; have ~; put ~; place ~.) We captured a thief who had a price on his head, and the sheriff gave us the reward. The crook was so mean, he turned in his own brother, who had a price on his head.

See also: head

asking price

the price that someone puts on an item being offered for sale. I think your asking price is a little high.

See also: ask

drive a price down

Fig. to force the price of something down. The lack of buyers drove the price down. The lack of buyers drove down the price.

See also: drive

drive a price up and force something up

to force the price of something upwards. Someone is buying a lot of gold and driving the price up. They are driving up the price.

See also: drive, up

Every man has his price.

Prov. It is possible to bribe anyone as long as you know how much or what to bribe him or her with. Henchman: I've offered the judge half a million dollars to give you a light sentence, but he says he can't be bought. Gangster: Keep trying. Every man has his price. Every man has his price, and the townsfolk were shocked to discover just how low their mayor's price had been.

See also: every, has, his, man

pay the price 

1. Lit. to pay the price that is asked for goods or services.(Usually implying that the price is high.) If this is the quality of goods that you require, you will have to pay the price.

2. Fig. to suffer the consequences for doing something or risking something. Oh, my head! I am paying the price for drinking too much last night.

See also: pay

price someone or something out of the market

to raise or lower a price and drive someone or something out of the marketplace. You are a very good singer, but your agent has priced you out of the market. The discount prices posted by the chain store were meant to price us out of the market.

See also: market, out

price something down

to lower the price of something. When they start pricing this stuff down at the end of the season, I'll come in and buy something. I hope to price down the merchandise soon.

price something out

to list and total all the component prices of goods and services for a complex project. I have finished listing all the materials required for the project, and now I have to price it out so that we can decide if we can afford it.

See also: out

price something up

to raise the price of something. They have priced oranges up so high that I can't afford any. Why do they price up these common foods so high?

See also: up

price one has to pay

the sacrifice that one has to make; the unpleasantness that one has to suffer. Being away from home a lot is the price one has to pay for success.

See also: has, one, pay

quote a price

to name or state in advance the charge for doing or supplying something. The mechanic quoted a price of $100 to repair my car. The carpenter quoted a price for fixing the stairs.

See also: quote

roll prices back

Fig. to reduce prices. The store rolled all its prices back for the sale. The protesters demanded that the big oil companies roll back their prices.

See also: back, roll

sell something for a certain price

to market something at a certain price. I think I can sell this for twice what I paid for it. This is selling for twice the price at the shop down the street.

See also: certain, sell

set one's (own) price

to name the (relatively high) price at which one is willing to sell something. If you have a first edition of Milton, you can almost set your own price. They are in great demand by collectors.

See also: set

thing you don't want is dear at any price

Prov. You should not buy something just because it is cheap. Jill: There's a sale on black-and-white film; we should get some. Jane: We never use black-and-white film. Jill: But it's so cheap. Jane: A thing you don't want is dear at any price.

See also: any, dear, thing, want

What price something?

What is the value of something?; What good is something? (Said when the value of the thing referred to is being diminished or ignored.) Jane's best friend told us all about Jane's personal problems. What price friendship? Jack simply declared himself president of the political society. What price democracy?

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at a price 

1. if you can get something at a price, you have to pay a lot of money for it Forged passports are available, at a price.

2. if you can get something at a price, you have to accept something unpleasant in order to get it Progress has been achieved, but at a price. Many who worked on farms and in factories are now without jobs.

at any price

if you want something at any price, you will do whatever you have to do in order to get it We want peace at any price.

See also: any

Cheap at half the price!  (British & Australian humorous)

something that you say when something is very expensive 'That'll be £5.20 please.' 'What? For one bottle of beer! Cheap at half the price.'

See also: cheap, half

pay the price

to accept the unpleasant results of what you have done She dropped all her friends when she met Steve and now that he's gone, she's paying the price. She has no one to turn to. (often + for ) I have paid the price for working nonstop - my health has suffered.

See also: pay

What price [fame/success/victory etc.]?

something that you say which means it is possible that the fame, success etc. that has been achieved was not worth all the suffering it has caused What price victory when so many people have died to make it possible?

See pay the price

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at any price

no matter how difficult at any cost They wanted to find out the truth at any price.

Related vocabulary: at all costs

See also: any

come at a price

to include disadvantages in order to get what you want The company's success was made possible by the country's rulers, but their support comes at a price.

Usage notes: sometimes used without come: Following the recommendation would have increased teamwork, but at a price.

See also: come

for a price also at a price

for a lot of money She'll do any kind of redecorating you need, for a price. They will do custom software programming, but at a price.

pay the price also pay a price

to accept the unpleasant results of something pay the piper He achieved great fame in his later years, but he certainly paid the price. Professional athletes often pay a price for the beating their bodies have taken.

See also: pay

put a price (tag) on something

to say how much something costs They finally put a price tag on the proposed renovations. You can't put a price on loyalty.

See also: put