English Idiom – Put your money where your mouth is or Put money where your mouth is.

Meaning – Back up your words with action. This idiom is used to express that someone should demonstrate their commitment to something by taking actual steps to support it. Stop talking about doing something and actually do it!

This idiom put your money where your mouth is similar in meaning to the proverb actions speak louder than words – what you do is more important than what you say.

Usage:

When could you use this idiom?

  • When someone is talking about how they want to help the homeless, but they never donate money or volunteer their time.
  • A family member is always bragging about how great they are at a certain skill, but they never enter competitions or put their skills to the test.
  • Your classmate is talking about how they want to get in shape, but they never join a gym or start exercising.
  • When someone is talking about how they want to learn to speak English, but they never take classes or practice!

Example:

  • “She’s always talking about how she wants to help, but she never puts her money where her mouth is.”

In The News:

Spring budget: Time for politicians to put money where their mouth is

Discuss:

  • Is there an idiom like this in your country?

What is an idiom?

An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally.  An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words, but has a separate meaning of its own.

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