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Imantaghavi Posted 14 years ago
Vocabulary

To make ends meet

Hi,
What does the underlined part mean?

"I can remember your working two jobs sometimes and running the beauty shop in the front of our home so that our family would be able to make ends meet."

I know that meet your ends mean to die in a particular way, but seems to be senseless here. My conjecture is that it means to eke out and/or survive.

I'd appreciate anyone's help in advance,

Iman
  

Top answer

Hi, To make ends meet ~ to earn enough money so that you can buy the things you need. Regards

— Regards

  • Hi, To make ends meet ~ to earn enough money so that you can buy the things you need.
  • Regards
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7 Answers
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Hi,

To make ends meet ~ to earn enough money so that you can buy the things you need.

Regards
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Hi Regards,

Thank you very much for your time and reply.

Iman
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Hi Iman,
here's the etymology of the phrase :

There have been some fanciful speculations that the expression to make both ends meet derives from the practice of splicing rope together on old sailing ships to save money. The phrase, however, seems to be merely a shortening of to make both ends of the year meet, meaning the same – to live within one’s income. Tobias Smollett firs
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innertideHi Iman,here's the etymology of the phrase :There have been some fanciful speculations that the expression to make both ends meet derives from the practice of splicing rope together on old sailing ships to save money. The phrase, however, seems to be merely a shortening of to make both ends of the year meet, meaning the same – to live within one’s income. Tobias S
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imantaghaviI know that meet your ends mean to die in a particular way,
No, it's "meet your end", not "ends".
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Hi
Regards' definition is the one I have heard.
I found a slight change in this definition at Oxford's, though I have not heard of it very much:

make (both) ends meet

earn enough money to live without getting into debt.
I wonder if you anyone has used it or heard of it.
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Hi enoon,

Thank you for your attention.
You're right. "end" is right not "ends"

Regards,

Iman
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