pay the piper

pay the piper
phrasal
1. : to bear the cost of something

artists will be chosen … supported by the state … the people will pay the piper and call the tune — Clive Bell

2. : to suffer the consequences of or penalty for an act

* * *

pay the piper see under ↑pipe1
• • •
Main Entry:pay
————————
pay the piper
1. To bear the expense (and so call the tune have control)
2. To have to pay heavily
• • •
Main Entry:pipe

* * *

bear the consequences of an action or activity that one has enjoyed

we will have to pay the piper, and the price is apt to be a high one

* * *

pay the piper — see piper
• • •
Main Entry:pay
————————
pay the piper
informal
1 : to pay the cost of something

We have to do what they say because they're the ones who are paying the piper.

You know what they say: he who pays the piper calls the tune. [=the person who pays for something controls how it is done]

2 chiefly US : to pay money or suffer in some way because of something you have done

They have mismanaged the company for years, and now they have to pay the piper.

• • •
Main Entry:piper

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • pay the piper — or[pay the fiddler] {v. phr.} To suffer the results of being foolish; pay or suffer because of your foolish acts or wasting money. * /Bob had spent all his money and got into debt, so now he must pay the piper./ * /Fred had a fight, broke a… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • pay the piper — or[pay the fiddler] {v. phr.} To suffer the results of being foolish; pay or suffer because of your foolish acts or wasting money. * /Bob had spent all his money and got into debt, so now he must pay the piper./ * /Fred had a fight, broke a… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • pay\ the\ piper — • pay the piper • pay the fiddler v. phr. To suffer the results of being foolish; pay or suffer because of your foolish acts or wasting money. Bob had spent all his money and got into debt, so now he must pay the piper. Fred had a fight, broke a… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • pay the piper (to) —  Pay what one owes; take the consequences.  The phrase comes from the proverb “He who dances must pay the piper.”  ► “Eastern Europe’s banks pay the piper after the heady days of the early ’90s.” (Wall Street Journal, April 18, 1996, p. A12) …   American business jargon

  • pay the piper — When you pay the piper, you have to accept the consequences of something that you have done wrong or badly …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • pay the piper — verb a) To pay expenses for something, and thus be in a position to be in control (i.e. to be able to call the tune). Those that pay the piper must command the tune. b) To pay a monetary debt or experience unfavorable consequences, especially… …   Wiktionary

  • pay the piper — to accept the unpleasant results of something you have done. After fooling around for most of the semester, now he has to pay the piper and study over vacation. If you don t charge enough for your work, at some point you will have to pay the… …   New idioms dictionary

  • pay the piper —    When you pay the piper, you have to accept the consequences of something that you have done wrong or badly.   (Dorking School Dictionary) …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • pay the piper — idi a) to pay the cost of something b) to bear the unfavorable consequences of one s actions or indulgences …   From formal English to slang

  • To pay the piper — Pay Pay, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Paid}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Paying}.] [OE. paien, F. payer, fr. L. pacare to pacify, appease, fr. pax, pacis, peace. See {Peace}.] 1. To satisfy, or content; specifically, to satisfy (another person) for service rendered …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”