Meaning & use
money on his books
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrasebusinessfinance
Money that a person or business is owed by customers or clients and has not yet received.
Grammar: Used after have or with there is/are: he has money on his books means customers still owe him that money.
Patterns
- have money on your books
- there is money on someone's books
- money on the books of a company
The garage has about $4,000 on his books from repairs that customers have not paid for.
At the end of the year she still had money on her books, so she sent out reminder invoices.
The shop keeps a list of the money on its books so it knows who still owes payment.
phrasefixed phraseinformal
Money that a bookmaker has accepted as bets and may have to pay out if those bets win.
Grammar: Common in betting contexts, usually in the form money on the books or on someone's books.
Patterns
- money on the books
- have money on your books
The bookmaker had a lot of money on his books for the big race.
If the favorite wins, the money on their books will have to be paid out.
Common combinations
- have money on your books
- The dentist had money on her books from patients who had not yet paid.
- money on the books
- There is still money on the books for last month's orders.
- clear money off the books
- A few large payments cleared most of the money off the books.
- a lot of money on his books
- The builder had a lot of money on his books after a busy summer.
- keep money on the books
- Small firms often keep money on the books for months before chasing it.
Synonyms and how they differ
- outstanding payments
- A more formal business term for money that has not yet been received; it fits reports better than everyday speech.
- receivables
- The accounting term for amounts customers owe; it is used in finance writing, not in casual talk.
- debts owed to someone
- A plain description rather than a set phrase, and it can refer to any kind of debt, not only customer payments.
Opposites
Word family
- on the books phrase
- Officially recorded or listed, as in 'the deal is on the books'.
- bookkeeping noun
- The activity of recording a business's income and payments.
Commonly confused: money on his books or on the books? money on his books or cook the books?
money on his books vs on the books
This means officially recorded or employed, as in 'she is on the books as a part-time worker'. 'Money on his books' is narrower: it means money owed to him.
money on his books vs cook the books
This means to change financial records dishonestly. It is very different from simply having money owed to you.
Practice
The plumber has $2,000 _____ from jobs he finished last month.
Choose one answer.
'On his books' is the fixed phrase for money customers still owe him. 'On the books' sounds similar but means officially recorded, so it does not fit the meaning here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “money on his books”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.