Meanings
verbpay the fiddler (third-person singular simple present pays the fiddler, present participle paying the fiddler, simple past and past participle paid the fiddler)
present singular third person pays the fiddler · participle present paying the fiddler · participle past paid the fiddler · past paid the fiddler
- idiomaticTo face the consequences of one's actions.
The three-day party had been a lot of fun, but now it was time to pay the fiddler.
Synonyms & antonyms
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Cite this entry
APA
pay the fiddler. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pay%20the%20fiddler
MLA
“pay the fiddler.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pay%20the%20fiddler. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pay the fiddler,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pay%20the%20fiddler.
Source: pay the fiddler on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.