10 Things you pay

Hi, I'm back.  I'd have been here sooner, but you know, taxes.  Rather than rant about taxes and how I should probably be grateful to be paying them or some such nonsense, I'll expand this blog to everything about payment.  Buckle up, this is going to be a slow ride.

10 - The devil  - Pay the devil his due!  Often means to give credit begrudgingly to an adversary. That phrase isn't used much anymore.  It doesn't mean you can't pay the devil, assuming you can find him.  I'm pretty sure he takes most major credit cards.  Except Diners club.  I don't think he takes that.

9 - Sweat - Sweat equity.  The term would indicate you have already paid it, but you probably haven't.  If you are buying a house, you can sometimes discount the price with sweat equity, meaning you will agree to put in the lawn or some of the improvements on behalf of your contractors.  You'll probably do a better job, but you won't get a discount...or is that a credit?  I'm not sure, but you'll pay in sweat.

8 - Hell - Heaven never asks for a payment so to speak, but there is ALWAYS Hell to pay.  It's a bunch of trouble usually termed as a consequence of failed action.  If we don't get these files to Johnoson in Accounting, there will be HELL to pay!  This isn't particularly flattering of Johnson in Accounting because I believe once you've had hell to pay, you'd best give the Devil his due as well and Johnson's not THAT bad a guy.

7 - Your dues - Membership fees due at regular intervals.  But these are different dues.  These dues make no sense.  You've had to have been at a job long enough before you are considered for advancement.  This is called paying your dues.  In fact, any pre-requisite requirement for something, ESPECIALLY if it seems onerous and troublesome can be shortened to paying your dues.  Often the claim of someone that was passed over for advancement.  Hey!!! I've paid my dues!!!

6 - Blood and Tears - Sometimes coupled with Sweat (but not the equity sort) Blood and tears indicates a task so difficult, and requiring such sacrifice, that it would make you cry and sweat blood.  The term is a Biblical reference if you care to look it up.  I personally don't believe that anyone's difficult task is as hard as bearing the sins of the entire world.  It doesn't stop us using the phrase.  If you do use it, you are in grave danger of overstating the importance of whatever task you are describing.

5 - Ceasar - Yet another Biblical reference,  Render (pay) unto Ceasar that which is Ceasars is the first part of the phrase.  It means, you have to pay the things that require payment.  Funny that the Government assumes that they are one such institution that requires payment above all else.  I can actually think of no institution that is more wasteful and foolish with your money than Government.  No wonder they need it so much.

4 - That - You'll pay for that.  I've heard this one hundreds of times in the movies, but rarely in life.   When someone is warning you about foolish actions, they will often tell you that you will pay for those actions later.  It's only true part of the time, sometimes, especially in contests of skill,  you get off without paying a consequence at all

3 - Respect(s) - I'm not sure why you pay respect.  Which is different again than paying your respects.  One is giving someone the recognition they deserve.  I don't think this was a less rude version of paying the devils due.  Respects on the other hand is what you pay exclusively with someones passing.  You pay your respects to the family of the dead person and hope the deceased doesn't have to pay the Devil his due.  Why are they so close?  I don't know at all.  Bottom line, when you pay respect, it's to the living, when you pay more than 1 respect, it's to the dead.  I think it's so we can confuse visitors.

2 - The piper - You've got to pay the piper if you want to dance.  The funny thing here is, this means the same thing as having hell to pay EXCEPT you made a conscious choice that would lead to consequences that you will now have to pay for.  You may not have been fully aware of the consequences, but you knew they probably wouldn't be good.  There are other meanings, though.  He who pays the piper calls the tune.  Which is pretty self explanatory and yet teenagers often have a hard time grasping the concept.

1 - Attention - you pay attention.  When you have a deficit in attention, it's the same as when there is a deficit in the budget.  You owe more than you can pay.  Another strange thing to pay.  If you don't pay attention, there will be Hell to pay.  Does hell take attention as currency?  I don't know.  The other payment like attention is mind.  If you aren't paying any mind, you are being advised NOT to pay attention even though you already have.  I know, it's confusing.








Bonus - A dime - It's not included in the list because when the phrase is used, it is ALWAYS used in context of NOT paying.  It's usually a dime, you aren't paying but sometimes it's a red cent.  Also a scintilla which is even smaller than a red cent.  What ever it is, you ain't payin.







Well, you've been made to pay long enough.  Go on, get out of here.  You've got better things to do.