King's ransom British noun phrase
A huge sum of money
Her enormous diamond necklace must cost a king's ransom.
Customers are willing to pay a king's ransom for excellent service.
Many wealthy people are happy to pay a king's ransom for staying one night on that luxury ship.
I spent a king's ransom buying the latest smartphone.
save as much money as possible
Used to say that someone attempts to get money from you.
Feeling worried about finance.
To do work of any kind to earn a living
This idiom originated in the early Middle Ages, it referred to a specific quantity- the sum required to liberate a king who was imprisoned. Until 1525, when the work Talis Fyve Bestes was produced, the phrase " king's ransom" was merely used to signify a huge sum of money, with no reference to monarchs or their release.