Pay is central to work. Without it, the majority of people wouldn’t want to do their job. (There are a few exceptions, I’m sure.) But most people get a giant shock when they look at their payslip and see the large difference between their gross pay and their net, or take-home, pay.
The term “pay” plays a key role in the language of work. Many people’s pay is linked to a pay scale and they have a particular pay grade. They may also receive a pay rise (US: raise) from time to time.
If you are paid well, you are “paid handsomely”. If you are paid very little, you are “paid peanuts”. Indeed, it is often said that “if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”, which seems a little unfair to monkeys.
If someone asks you to do something that you feel is the responsibility of a person higher up in your organization, you can say: “Sorry, but that is above/beyond my pay grade!” I once heard a US boss ask his deputy, “What to do you think?” The deputy replied jokingly, “Hey, I ain’t paid to think”.
At a literal level, you can “pay a bill” or “pay for something in cash or by card”. But you can also “pay attention to” something or someone, or “pay heed”, meaning “to listen carefully and take something into account”. You can “pay someone a visit or a compliment”. If the compliment is meant as criticism, you “pay them a backhanded compliment”. And, if you
“pay lip service to” something, you give the impression that you support it or believe in it — when, in reality, you don’t.
If you buy something that is very expensive — and, in particular, if you pay more than it is worth — you “pay an arm and a leg”, “pay through the nose” or “pay over the odds”.
If you say, “I’ll pay for this”, that is usually an offer to pay a bill. But if you say, “You’ll pay for this”, that normally means “you’ll be punished for this”. Stronger versions are “There’ll be hell to pay if you...” or “There’ll be the devil to pay if you...”.
If you “pay someone back”, this could simply mean that you refund them money. But it can also mean that you get your
revenge. And if you “pay the price for” doing something, you face the negative consequences of your actions.
If a project or product covers its costs, it “pays for itself”. If you “pay your dues”, you either pay the necessary money for something (such as a membership) or you do things you don’t enjoy to gain the skills and experience needed to do something well.
If you have enough money to cover all your bills, you can “pay your way”. But if you simply borrow or take money from one person or project to pay (for) another, you “rob Peter to pay Paul”.
“S/he who pays the piper calls the tune” means that the person with the money can decide, while “you pay(s) your money and take(s) your choice” means that it probably won’t make much difference which of the options you choose.
Finally, it is often said that “crime doesn’t pay”. Sadly, as we know, in reality, it often does.