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general::
Phrase(s): Money is the root of all evil. [and] The love of money is the root of all evil.
Prov. People do many evil things in order to get rich. (Biblical. Compare this with Idleness is the root of all evil.) • Fred: I know I could make more money if I just knew the right things to invest in. Ellen: Don’t worry so much about money. It’s the root of all evil, after all. • As the newspapers continued to report the dastardly things the wealthy young banker had done to become even wealthier, people shook their heads and remarked, "The love of money is the root of all evil."
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs