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make ends meet. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
make ends meet, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
make ends meet in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
make ends meet you have here. The definition of the word
make ends meet will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
make ends meet, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
Unknown. Perhaps originally referred to the ends of rope meeting, signifying continuity and therefore security and stability. Perhaps shifting later to refer to the attempt at making money last from one pay period to the next (i.e. the ends), thereby leaving no gap or break in the availability of funds. Compare French joindre les deux bouts (literally “join the two ends”) with the same meaning. The form make both ends meet is attested from the 17th century, and was the more common form until the early-to-mid 20th century.
Pronunciation
Verb
make ends meet (third-person singular simple present makes ends meet, present participle making ends meet, simple past and past participle made ends meet)
- (idiomatic) To have enough money to cover expenses; to get by financially; to get through the pay period (sufficient to meet the next payday).
1748, Tobias Smollett, “The Adventures of Roderick Random”, in The Miscellaneous works of Tobias Smollett, page 18:... a schoolmaster, whose income being small, he was fain to keep a glass of good liquor for the entertainment of passengers, by which he made shift to make the two ends of the year meet.
1996, Chris Peters, Sudan: A Nation in the Balance, page 42:Although most of the poor and displaced in Khartoum struggle to make ends meet, a very small number not only find work, but form small co-operatives.
1997, Richard Ashcroft (lyrics and music), “Bitter Sweet Symphony”, performed by The Verve:'Cause it's a bitter sweet symphony that's life / Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to money then you die
2007, Peter Geoffrey Hall, London Voices, London Lives, page 269:Very many Londoners reported to us that they were struggling to make ends meet; that it was a constant battle to keep their heads above water, or that they had only just got into the position of being able to breathe freely.
2009 February 27, “Avarice and Audacity”, in The Guardian, UK:Barclays, which until now has made ends meet with costly loans from the Middle East rather than take public money, may soon join the queue for the emergency medicine too.
2022 April 6, “Network News: Spring Statement: Sunak accused of making rail less competitive”, in RAIL, number 954, page 8:TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes was typically forthright in his criticism by claiming that Sunak had "blatantly failed" to cure "a growing tragedy", as "every single day, more and more families can't make ends meet".
Translations
get by financially
- Breton: sec'hañ an eil dorn gant egile (br)
- Bulgarian: свъ́рзвам два́та кра́я (svǎ́rzvam dváta krája)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 量入為出/量入为出 (zh) (liàngrùwéichū), 維持生活/维持生活 (zh) (wéichí shēnghuó)
- Czech: vystačit s penězi do příští výplaty
- Dutch: rondkomen (nl), de eindjes aan elkaar knopen
- Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
- Finnish: saada rahat riittämään
- French: joindre les deux bouts (fr)
- German: über die Runden kommen (de), über den Monat kommen
- Hebrew: לגמור את החודש
- Hungarian: kijön a pénzéből (hu), kijön a fizetéséből, ki tud jönni (pénzéből/fizetéséből)
- Italian: far quadrare i conti, arrivare a fine mese, arrotondare lo stipendio, sbarcare il lunario
- Korean: 입에 풀칠하다 (ibe pulchilhada)
- Latvian: savilkt galus kopā
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: få endene til å møtes
- Persian: (please verify) دخل را به خرج رساندن ،مخارج را پوشش دادن(به قدر پوشش مخارج پول درآوردن)
- Polish: wiązać koniec z końcem (pl) impf
- Portuguese: chegar ao fim do mês, conseguir pagar as contas
- Romanian: please add this translation if you can
- Russian: своди́ть концы с концами (ru) (svodítʹ koncy s koncami)
- Scottish Gaelic: eadar am bogha is an t-sreang (literally “between the bow and the string”)
- Spanish: llegar a fin de mes (es), redondear el presupuesto, hacer que alcance el dinero, hacer alcanzar el dinero, rebuscárselas (es), ir mal viviendo, ir tirando, apañarselas, arreglárselas
- Swedish: få ekonomin att gå ihop
- Turkish: ayın sonunu getirmek
- Walloon: ranukî ses corons eshonne (wa)
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References
- “"Making ends meet: Etymology of phrase"”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), 2009 February 15 (last accessed), archived from the original on 23 February 2009
Further reading
make ends meet, make both ends meet at the Google Books Ngram Viewer.