break-the-bank

Welcome to English in a Minute.

Have you ever been shopping and heard someone say: I don't want to break the bank.

This is a simple phrase that you can easily add to your American English vocabulary.

Let's hear it in a conversation.

A: I wanted to buy a new car. I saw one at the dealership yesterday, but it was so expensive!
B: How expensive?
A: very expensive -- way too much for me. I can't afford it, and I don't want to break the bank.

This phrase means to use up all of your money, and it comes from

gambling（赌博; 打赌; 赌钱）. If a gambler wins more money than the casino（英 [kəˈsiːnəʊ] 美 [kəˈsiːnoʊ]n. 赌场; ） has on hand, it's called "breaking the bank." And when someone has no money, you can say he is "broke."

And that's English in a Minute.