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Phrase(s): in the money
1. Fig. wealthy. • John is really in the money. He’s worth millions. • If I am ever in the money, I’ll be generous. 2. Fig. in the winning position in a race or contest. (As if one had won the prize money; in horse racing the top three finishers can pay off on bets.) • I knew when Jane came around the final turn that she was in the money. • The horses coming in first, second, and third are said to be in the money.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
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1. Also, in the chips. Rich, affluent. For example, When he's in the money, he's extremely generous to his friends, or After that box-office bonanza, she's in the chips. The chips in the variant presumably allude to poker chips. [Colloquial; late 1800s] 2. Placing first, second or third in a contest on which a bet has been placed, especially a horse race. For example, My luck held today, and I ended up in the money. [c. 1900]
American Heritage Idioms