make ends meet

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Unknown. Perhaps originally referred to the ends of rope meeting, signifying continuity and therefore security and stability. Perhaps shifting later to refer to the attempt at making money last from one pay period to the next (i.e. the ends), thereby leaving no gap or break in the availability of funds. Compare French joindre les deux bouts (literally “join the two ends”) with the same meaning. The form make both ends meet is attested from the 17th century, and was the more common form until the early-to-mid 20th century.

40 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Breton: sec'hañ an eil dorn gant egile — get by financially
• Bulgarian: свъ́рзвам два́та кра́я (svǎ́rzvam dváta krája) — get by financially
• Chinese Mandarin: 量入為出 /量入为出 (liàngrùwéichū) — get by financially
• Chinese Mandarin: 維持生活 /维持生活 (wéichí shēnghuó) — get by financially
• Czech: vystačit s penězi do příští výplaty — get by financially
• Czech: vyjít s penězi — get by financially
• Dutch: rondkomen — get by financially
• Dutch: de eindjes aan elkaar knopen — get by financially
• Finnish: saada rahat riittämään — get by financially
• French: joindre les deux bouts — get by financially
• German: über die Runden kommen — get by financially
• German: über den Monat kommen — get by financially
• Hebrew: גמר את החודש — get by financially
• Hungarian: kijön a pénzéből — get by financially
• Hungarian: kijön a fizetéséből — get by financially
• Hungarian: ki tud jönni (pénzéből/fizetéséből) — get by financially
• Italian: far quadrare i conti — get by financially
• Italian: arrivare a fine mese — get by financially
• Italian: arrotondare lo stipendio — get by financially
• Italian: sbarcare il lunario — get by financially
• Korean: 입에 풀칠하다 (ibe pulchilhada) — get by financially
• Latvian: savilkt galus kopā — get by financially
• Norwegian Bokmål: få endene til å møtes — get by financially
• Polish: wiązać koniec z końcem — get by financially
• Portuguese: chegar ao fim do mês — get by financially
• Portuguese: conseguir pagar as contas — get by financially
• Russian: своди́ть концы с концами (svodítʹ koncy s koncami) — get by financially
• Scottish Gaelic: eadar am bogha is an t-sreang — get by financially
• Spanish: llegar a fin de mes — get by financially
• Spanish: redondear el presupuesto — get by financially
• Spanish: hacer que alcance el dinero — get by financially
• Spanish: hacer alcanzar el / al dinero — get by financially
• Spanish: rebuscárselas — get by financially
• Spanish: ir mal viviendo — get by financially
• Spanish: ir tirando — get by financially
• Spanish: apañarselas — get by financially
• Spanish: arreglárselas — get by financially
• Swedish: få ekonomin att gå ihop — get by financially
• Turkish: ayın sonunu getirmek — get by financially
• Walloon: ranukî ses corons eshonne — get by financially