In the black

[0487] Deep pockets

🎲 Living paycheck to paycheck
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • Possessing significant financial resources; being wealthy or having access to substantial funds.
  • Often refers to individuals, companies, or organizations with the capacity to spend or invest large amounts.

Origin

  • Figurative expression, likely from the early 20th century.
  • Evokes the image of someone having pockets so deep they can hold a vast quantity of money.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Wealthy / Rich / Affluent
  • Loaded (Informal)
  • Money to burn (Informal, implies willingness to spend freely)
  • Well-funded / Well-resourced
  • Having substantial capital / Financially robust

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Loaded
  • Rolling in it / Rolling in dough
  • Got serious bank
  • Got long money (Urban slang implying substantial, lasting wealth)
  • Filthy rich

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Got fuck-you money (Wealth conferring independence/power)
  • Swimming in cash / Shitting money (Very informal/vulgar exaggeration of wealth)

Milder/Formal:

  • Financially sound / Financially robust
  • Possessing considerable assets / Having significant capital reserves
  • Well-endowed (Can refer to institutions)

Situational Appropriateness

  • Acceptable in informal and semi-formal contexts.
  • In highly formal settings, well-funded, possessing significant capital, or well-resourced might be preferred alternatives.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • The metaphor is quite clear (deep = holds a lot). Unlikely to cause major misunderstanding.
  • Emphasizes financial capacity and resource availability.

Examples

  • The lawsuit was settled quickly because the defendant was a corporation with deep pockets.
  • To launch a project of this scale, we need an investor with deep pockets.
  • She comes from a family with deep pockets.

Dialogue

A: How can that political campaign afford so much TV advertising?

B: They have some major donors with very deep pockets backing them.

A: Right. It's hard to compete without that kind of money.

Social Media Examples

  • Tweet: Small businesses often struggle to compete in industries dominated by players with deep pockets. #Business #Competition #Startups
  • News Article Snippet: ...facing legal challenges from environmental groups, the oil company is prepared for a long fight, leveraging its deep pockets.
  • LinkedIn Post: Seeking Series A funding: We need partners with deep pockets and industry expertise to scale our platform.

Response Patterns

  • Acknowledgment: Ah, that makes sense. / Yeah, they can certainly afford it.
  • Comment on implications: That gives them a huge advantage. / Money talks.
  • Curiosity: How rich are they, exactly?

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

  • Discussing how the financial resources are being used or might be used.
  • Speculating on the source or extent of the wealth.
  • Comparing the entity's resources to others.

Conversation Starter

  • No.
  • Used to describe the financial capacity of a person or entity within a conversation.

Intonation

  • Generally neutral, factual, or perhaps slightly admiring or implying power.
  • Stress on DEEP and POCKETS. DEEP POCKETS.

Generation Differences

  • Widely understood and used across generations.

Regional Variations

  • Common across major English-speaking regions.
In the black
🎲 Living paycheck to paycheck