paid-up
Certified for inclusion; having paid the necessary amount in full. I never knew until he was on his deathbed that my father was a paid-up Freemason. You'll have to be a paid-up member of the union before we can give you any regular shifts on the docks.
paid-up member (of something)
A certified member of a particular group or organization; someone who has paid the dues necessary to be part of a group. I never knew until he was on his deathbed that my father was a paid-up member of the Freemasons. I'm afraid only paid-up members of the union can be given any regular shifts on the docks.
pay (someone) on the nail
To pay (someone) immediately, on the spot, or without delay. Primarily heard in UK. I could put the bill on my credit card, but if it's all right with you, I'd rather we divvy it up here and pay on the nail. My lodger is a bit of a noisy fellow, but so long as he keeps paying me his rent on the nail, I don't mind.
pay (one's) respects
1. To offer (someone) a proper or formal expression of greeting, welcome, esteem, or well wishes. I think we should go over and pay our respects to the new neighbors and make them feel welcome to the area!
2. To offer or express one's condolences or sympathy, particularly to someone's family following his or her death. I'm heading to Janet's house after her father's funeral on Sunday to pay my respects to her and her family.
pay (one's) last respects
To show or express one's respect for someone who has died, especially by attending his or her funeral, wake, memorial service, etc. Anyone who wishes to pay their last respects to my husband is welcome to do so at the viewing this Saturday, from 10 AM to 4 PM.
pay (someone) peanuts
To pay (someone) a very paltry or miniscule amount; to pay the absolute minimum amount necessary. I had a few jobs during college getting paid peanuts, but it was the only work I could find that fit in with my studies. You're never going to be able to hire an effective manager if you're only willing to pay peanuts.
pay the consequences
To face, accept, or suffer repercussions for one's actions or words, especially that which would be expected to incur punishment. (A less common version of "suffer the consequences.") After three nights of heavy drinking, I'm really going to be paying the consequences come Monday morning! With the judge handing down the maximum possible sentence, this monster will be paying the consequences for his crimes for the rest of his life.
pay the fiddler
To face, accept, or suffer repercussions for one's actions or words, especially that would be expected to incur punishment. (A less common version of "pay the piper.") After three nights of heavy drinking, I'm really going to be paying the fiddler come Monday morning! With the judge handing down the maximum possible sentence, this monster will be paying the fiddler for the rest of his life.
pay the freight
To bear the cost(s) (of something); to pay or compensate payment (for something). Every year, it's the government (and ultimately, the taxpayer) who has to pay the freight for over a million incarcerated prisoners. Don't worry, even if a few containers get "lost" during transit, it's the shipping company's insurance that pays the freight.
pay (one) back in kind
To avenge past misdeeds with similar actions. Greg got me in trouble with the boss, and I will pay him back in kind. You need to pay her back in kind for all the bad things she's done to you!
pay the bills
Literally, to pay for one's expenses (such as rent, utilities, etc.). I'm so broke this month that I can hardly pay the bills. Being an actor won't necessarily pay the bills, honey, so I think you should study something else in college.
pay too dearly for (one's) whistle
To spend a lot of money or effort on something that is ultimately disappointing or unfulfilling. The phrase refers to a story by Benjamin Franklin about a boy who wanted a whistle so much that he overpaid for it and soon lost interest in it. I worked night and day to get this position, but now I have very few friends—I guess I paid too dearly for my whistle.
pay with the roll of the drum
To avoid paying a debt. If you keep paying with the roll of the drum, you will soon owe me hundreds of dollars!