the color of (one's) money

the color of (one's) money

One's ability to pay for something; the amount of one's money. Sure, I trust you—but I still want to see the color of your money so I know you're good for it. The thing that matters the most in this society is the color of your money.

See also: color, money, of

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

the colour of someone's money

If you want to see the colour of someone's money, you want proof that they can pay for something, usually because you doubt that they are able to. Note: `Colour' is spelled `color' in American English. Then he ordered another drink and I said to him: `Let's see the colour of your money.' I thought he wouldn't have any. He made a mental note never to enter into conversation with a customer until he'd at least seen the colour of his money.

See also: colour, money, of

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012