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- bleed someone white
bleed someone white
bleed someone white
Extort money, take someone's last penny. For example, That contractor would have bled the department white, but fortunately he was apprehended in time . Presumably this term alludes to losing so much blood that one turns pale (and perhaps also to the idea that money is the life blood of commerce). [First half of 1900s]
bleed someone white
and bleed someone dry tv. to take all of someone’s money; to extort money from someone. (see also
bleed.)
The creeps tried to bleed me white. These taxes are going to bleed me dry!