Meanings
present singular third person pays through the nose · participle present paying through the nose · participle past paid through the nose · past paid through the nose
- idiomaticTo pay an exorbitant or excessive amount, either in money or in some other manner.First known use 17th c.
I seem to understand that this gentleman […] is the fons et origo of the trouble; and, from what I gather, he has already paid through the nose.
1889, Robert Louis Stevenson, Lloyd Osbourne, “Final Adjustment of the Leather Business”, in The Wrong Box, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, page 2825 more examples
Observe here the happy estate of our Ancestors under Monarchy, who, if they gained but this advantage […] of receiving a few good Grants, and enjoying a pittance of Freedom, once in 4 or 5 ages when their King was too young to play Rex, and there hapned a wise and honest Protector; yet were sure to pay through the nose for it afterwards with double and treble interest for forbearance.
1650, G[eorge] W[alker], Anglo-tyrannus, or The Idea of a Norman Monarch, Represented in the Paralell Reignes of Henrie the Third and Charles Kings of England, […], London: […] George Thompson […], →OCLC, archived from the original on 15 Apr 2019, page 20But vvhen they came to ſeek for Match, and Bullet, and Povvder, there vvas none to be had. The Fanaticks had bought it all up, and made them pay for it moſt unconſcionably, and through the noſe.
1672, [Andrew Marvell], The Rehearsal Transpros’d: Or, Animadversions upon a Late Book, Entituled, A Preface, Shewing what Grounds there are of Fears and Jealousies of Popery, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 270[F]armers of the revenue vvere admitted, vvho, far from being gratified for their preſence, as they are in their ovvn aſſemblies, vvere obliged to pay through the noſe for their reception.
1751, [Alain-René Lesage], “Gil Blas Acquires the Theatrical Taste, Abandons Himself to the Pleasures of a Comic Life, with which however, He is Disgusted in a Little Time”, in [Tobias George Smollett], transl., The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane. […], 3rd edition, volume I, London: […] J. Osborn, […], →OCLC, book III, page 257[S]he [a lady]'s a mere nobody, as one may ſay, till ſhe can get herſelf a huſband, being ſhe knovvs nothing of buſineſs, and is made to pay for every thing through the noſe.
1782, [Frances Burney], “A Prating”, in Cecilia, or Memoirs of an Heiress. […], volume V, London: […] T[homas] Payne and Son […], and T[homas] Cadell […], →OCLC, book X, page 287Several persons have already left off snuff-taking, in consequence of the additional duty on tobacco, observing that they have no idea of paying through the nose for the expence of war.
1795 December, “[Monthly Chronicle. Home News.] Hare and Stag Chace.”, in The Freemasons’ Magazine: Or, General and Complete Library, volume V, London: […] J. Parsons, […], →OCLC, page 433
Origin
Origin uncertain; according to the American etymologist and linguist Anatoly Liberman (born 1937), probably a nautical term drawing an analogy between paying a large sum of money and paying out an anchor’s cable or chain through the hawseholes at the bow (metaphorically the “nose”) of a ship. He is unconvinced of other explanations such as the following: * The term is said to derive from the story of the Norse god Odin levying a tax on the nose of every Swede. However, Liberman is of the view that it is unclear why a god would require money. * Alternatively, the term is said to be from Old Norse nef-gildi (“poll tax payable to the king”, literally “nose-tax”), nose being a synecdoche referring to a person, because the Irish were required to pay such a tax to the Vikings who conquered them (795–1169 C.E.). Liberman points out that the English term is only attested centuries after this period.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 被敲竹槓 /被敲竹杠
- 被敲竹槓 /被敲竹杠 (bèi qiāozhúkàng)to pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
Dutch blauw betalen
- blauw betalento pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
Finnish maksaa maltaita
- maksaa maltaitato pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
French acheter à prix d'or, débourser une fortune
- acheter à prix d'orto pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
- débourser une fortuneto pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
- payer bonbonto pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
- payer le prix fortto pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
- payer une fortuneto pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
German tief in die Tasche greifen
- tief in die Tasche greifento pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
Hungarian borsos árat fizet
- borsos árat fizetto pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
Icelandic blæða, greiða okurverð
- blæðato pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
- greiða okurverðto pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
- punga útto pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
Latvian maksāt baltu naudu, maksāt traku naudu
- maksāt baltu nauduto pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
- maksāt traku nauduto pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
Polish przepłacać, przepłacić
- przepłacaćto pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
- przepłacićto pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
Portuguese pagar os olhos da cara
- pagar os olhos da carato pay an exorbitant or excessive amount
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with pay through the nose
Cite this entry
pay through the nose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pay%20through%20the%20nose
“pay through the nose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pay%20through%20the%20nose. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pay through the nose,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pay%20through%20the%20nose.
Source: pay through the nose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.