pay through the nose

Cultural  

1. To pay unreasonably high prices: “If you visit any major city these days, you had better be prepared to pay through the nose for a hotel room.”

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pay through the nose Idioms  

1. Pay an excessive amount for something, as in We paid through the nose for that vacation. The origin of this term has been lost. Possibly it alludes to the Danish nose tax, imposed in Ireland in the 9th century, whereby delinquent taxpayers were punished by having their noses slit. [Second half of 1600s]

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Example Sentences

In other words, clients will manage their own portfolios rather than pay through the nose for fees.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

“I had no choice but to pay through the nose for cabbages,” said 56-year-old Sung Ok-Koung, a homemaker in Seoul, for whom making kimchi is an important family activity.

From Washington Post • Sep. 23, 2022

On the islands this can be much harder and the lack of choice means most locals have no option but to pay through the nose.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2022

“I’m sitting on a station group of eight stations, and I got to pay through the nose for programming,” former journalist Gendel explains.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2021

They had to pay through the nose for Baby Wilson’s private room and private nurse.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

Related Words

• confiscate
• levy
• punish