break the bank

Idioms & Phrases

break the bank

Ruin one financially, exhaust one's resources, as in I guess the price of a movie won't break the bank. This term originated in gambling, where it means that a player has won more than the banker (the house) can pay. It also may be used ironically, as above. [c. 1600]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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