Meaning & use
money for old rope
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Meanings
phraseidiominformalBritish
Money that is earned very easily, with little work or skill needed.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun phrase: it takes a singular verb, as in 'That job is money for old rope.'
Patterns
- something is money for old rope
- make money for old rope
- it's money for old rope
Selling those old photos online turned out to be money for old rope.
He charges a huge fee for a five-minute talk, so for him it's money for old rope.
The repair was money for old rope — the shop simply tightened one screw and billed me fifty pounds.
phraseidiominformalBritish
Something that is surprisingly easy to do or get, especially compared with the reward it brings.
Grammar: Often used after 'be' to describe a task or opportunity, not a person.
Patterns
- something is money for old rope
- seem like money for old rope
For a trained chef, catering this small party is money for old rope.
The exam looked hard, but it was money for old rope once I read the questions carefully.
Getting tickets was money for old rope; I just logged on early.
Common combinations
- it's money for old rope
- Don't complain about the price — for a plumber, that job is money for old rope.
- make money for old rope
- Some bloggers make money for old rope by reposting other people's articles.
- be money for old rope
- For someone with her experience, translating that letter was money for old rope.
- sound like money for old rope
- A thousand dollars for one afternoon's work sounds like money for old rope to me.
- easy money
- He thought tutoring would be easy money, but the planning takes hours.
Synonyms and how they differ
- easy money
- Neutral and common in both British and American English; it stresses that the money comes with little effort, but it does not suggest the work is worthless.
- a cushy number
- Informal British slang for a very comfortable, undemanding job; it describes the job itself, whereas 'money for old rope' focuses on the easy profit.
- a licence to print money
- Stronger and often disapproving; it suggests a business that makes huge profits almost automatically, not just one easy payment.
Opposites
Word family
- rope noun
- A thick strong cord; the literal word behind the idiom.
- old rope noun
- Rope that is worn out and nearly worthless, which is why the idiom suggests something cheap being sold dearly.
Commonly confused: money for old rope or money for nothing? money for old rope or old money?
money for old rope vs money for nothing
A similar idea, but it usually means getting paid without doing any work at all, and it is not limited to British English.
money for old rope vs old money
A completely different phrase meaning wealth that has belonged to a family for generations; do not mix the two word orders.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'money for old rope' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The idiom describes a task or opportunity that brings easy profit, so 'fixing that bike is money for old rope' fits. Option A treats it as a way of spending money, option C makes it a countable noun with a plural, and option D uses it to describe people in a storm, none of which matches the meaning or grammar.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “money for old rope”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.