Meaning
Spend all one’s money; be too expensive.
Primary Function
Affordability limit.
Communicative Purpose
To indicate expense but not extreme.
Pattern
break the bank
Core Structure
break the bank
Função primária
Affordability limit.
Propósito comunicativo
To indicate expense but not extreme.
Situações de gatilho
Purchases, wedding planning.
Contextos
Shopping, budgets.
Padrão
break the bank
Estrutura central
break the bank
Slots de substituição
none
Colocados típicos
- won’t
- not going to
- don’t need to
Substituições comuns
- cost an arm and a leg (more extreme)
Erros comuns
*break the bank account* (incorrect)
Similar / contraste
splash out (spend freely)
Interferências
Not about robberies.
Família do chunk
- Spending idioms
Nuance
Often in negative form: won’t break the bank.
Efeito pragmático
Reassures about cost.
Dica de memória
Piggy bank shattering.
Nota
This idiom is commonly used to reassure someone that something is affordable or within budget.
Upgrade path
exceed one’s budget (formal)
Log in to save chunks.