Put your money where your mouth is
| Rosie: | Hi, I'm Rosie, and this is Li ... Li? Hurry up! Ah, here's the karaoke bar. |
| Li: | Ahhh! Rosie, why is the bar on the top floor? So many stairs ... Help me please. I'm so unfit. I need to start doing more exercise. I'm going to join the gym tomorrow. |
| Rosie: | Why don't you join the gym today? |
| Li: | I'll join it tomorrow and then I'll go every single day ... I will. I really will. |
| Rosie: | Li, you've been saying that for months but you never actually do it! |
| Li: | This time I will, I promise. |
| Rosie: | That's what you always say. You need to put your money where your mouth is. |
| Li: | You want me to put my money where my mouth is? You want me to eat my coins and banknotes? That's disgusting! |
| Rosie: | No, Li, that's not what I meant. To put your money where your mouth is means to stop just talking about something and to take action! |
| Li: | Ah, so you didn't really want me to put all these coins in my mouth? |
| Rosie: | No, please don't. I want you to stop talking about joining the gym—and to join it for real! Here are some more examples: |
| A: If we played a game of tennis I would easily win! | |
| He always talks about how great the charity is—I think he should put his money where his mouth is and donate some money. | |
| Li: | So to put your money where your mouth is means to support your words with actions? |
| Rosie: | Yes—I think it's a great expression. So many people just talk and talk about doing things and never actually do them! |
| Li: | So you'd say you’re one of those people who puts their money where their mouth is? |
| Rosie: | Definitely. |
| Li: | That's interesting. So the other day you were saying that you love singing ... and here we are in a karaoke bar ... |
| Rosie: | Well yes but ... I'm really terrible actually. And some of our colleagues are here—how embarrassing. |
| Li: | No excuses! Put your money where your mouth is and sing a karaoke song! |
| Rosie: | Ohhhh ... OK. |
| Li: | Oh—maybe sometimes it's best NOT to put your money where your mouth is! |