Cost a Pretty Penny

Welcome to English in a Minute.

America, the land of Hollywood, can sometimes be too concerned with things looking pretty.

This is going to cost a pretty penny.

Is she worried about making their money look good?

Sometimes American English does not make any sense.

Did you see that car?

Oh, my gosh! that car is awesome.

Yes I bet it is really fast

That car must have cost a pretty penny!

Ah, It means that something costs a lot of money.

Some say the phrase came from a special coin A British king had made long ago.

American English is very descriptive, and sometimes we put a colorful word in front of a noun to get our meaning across.

And that’s English in a Minute.