proverb · Words worth keeping
Money burns a hole in the pocket.
Money burns a hole in the pocket.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes money burn a hole in a pocket. It pictures eagerness to spend as making possession feel difficult to sustain.
Example
Someone notices an urge to spend before considering what the proposed purchase would provide.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The imagined heat makes the urge visible rather than describing actual damage. A useful explanation can recognise an impulse without deciding what spending is appropriate. The phrase is not a diagnosis or a rule for managing a person’s finances.
When to use it
Use it to explain figurative eagerness to spend.
Keep in mind
No diagnosis or financial recommendation is supplied.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown