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[0322] Deep pockets

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English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • Refers to having significant financial resources; being wealthy or having access to substantial funds.
  • Often used when talking about the ability to pay for something expensive, invest, or cover large costs (like legal fees).

Origin

  • Literal imagery: someone whose pockets are deep can hold a lot of money.
  • The phrase has been used since at least the early 20th century.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Wealthy / Rich / Affluent
  • Loaded (Informal)
  • Well-off / Well-to-do
  • Rolling in it / Rolling in money/dough (Informal)
  • Got money to burn (Implies willingness to spend freely)
  • Made of money (Hyperbole)

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Got bank
  • Stacked (Having lots of money)
  • Filthy rich (Emphasizes extreme wealth)
  • Got fat stacks / Got racks (AAVE/Hip-hop influence, refers to bundles of cash)
  • Big bucks (Referring to the money itself)

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Rich as fuck / Rich as shit
  • Swimming in cash

Milder/More Formal:

  • Financially secure
  • Prosperous
  • Of considerable means
  • High net worth

Situational Appropriateness

  • Can be used in informal and semi-formal contexts.
  • Generally neutral, but can sound slightly envious or critical depending on tone and context (e.g., suggesting someone *should* pay because they have deep pockets).
  • Avoid discussing someone's personal finances inappropriately. Often used more abstractly for companies or in legal contexts (suing the party with the deepest pockets).

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Non-native speakers might not understand it refers specifically to financial wealth. The literal meaning is easy, but the idiomatic meaning needs clarification.

Examples

  • The company needs investors with deep pockets to fund its expansion.
  • They can afford that lawsuit; they have deep pockets.
  • Don't worry about the bill; let John pay, he's got deep pockets. (Said casually, potentially presumptuously)

Dialogue

Agent: This property is amazing, but the price is very high.

Buyer: We know, but our client has deep pockets and is very interested.

Agent: Okay, good to know. Let's proceed then.

Social Media Examples

  • Tweet: Rumor has it tech giant X is looking to acquire startup Y. They definitely have the deep pockets for it. #TechNews #Acquisition
  • News Headline Snippet: Environmental group sues corporation, targeting their deep pockets to fund cleanup.
  • Comment: Wish I had deep pockets like that celebrity buying their third yacht!

Response Patterns

  • Agreement/Confirmation: Yeah, they're loaded., Must be nice.
  • Questioning: Really? I didn't know they were that wealthy.
  • Commenting on implications: That explains how they could afford that mansion., Well, they can certainly afford to help out then.

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

After identifying someone/something as having deep pockets:

  • Discussing their wealth or spending habits.
  • Speculating on the source of their wealth.
  • Discussing how their wealth impacts a situation (e.g., a negotiation, a legal case, a donation).

Conversation Starter

  • No.
  • Used mid-conversation to describe the financial status of a person, company, or organization.

Intonation

  • Usually said in a neutral, matter-of-fact tone, or sometimes with slight envy or impressiveness.
  • Stress on deep and pockets. DEEP POCKETS.

Generation Differences

  • Widely understood and used across generations.

Regional Variations

  • Common idiom in all major English-speaking regions.
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