“It’s becoming more and more difficult to make ends meet.”
We’re hearing or reading this phrase a lot at the moment. Because of coronavirus (COVID-19), many people have lost their jobs, or their businesses have collapsed. Therefore, many people are struggling to pay their bills. To make ends meet is to earn just enough money to live on and pay necessary bills.
More examples
“Mangiafico calls it much needed comfort food for those now struggling to make ends meet.”
“The service has been helping those in the local community – and beyond – who are struggling to make ends meet as a result of the coronavirus crisis.”
“The consumer champion was back on our screens on Thursday, handing out useful advice for families up and down the country struggling to make ends meet.”
Origin
The ends mentioned in this idiom may have been the two ends of the year. The phrase probably referred to making one’s annual income stretch from the beginning to the end of the year. [1]
Photo credit: Bob Bertsch (Creative Commons)
[1] Cresswell, Julia. “end” in The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins. Oxford University Press, 2009.
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