Shell out
Today’s expression is to “shell out.” To shell out is to spend money on something expensive. There’s usually a little bit of a bitter or negative undertone when we use this word. When we say someone has to “shell out” for an expensive item, we’re implying that the person spending money won’t necessarily be happy about spending all that money.
Do you remember how you heard it earlier? We were talking about the intense competition in the top divisions of European football. In America, if a professional sports team does badly, that team stays in the top league no matter what. It might do badly on the field, but it’s still profitable. So American teams don’t feel the pressure to shell out for top talent year after year: if they have a losing season, so what? The owners can still cash the checks from rich television and sponsorship deals year after year.
But European football is different. With the threat of being relegated to a lower league, team owners feel pressure to shell out for the best players. And the increased competition leads to rising salaries of the stars. In this way, owning a European football team is not very profitable. Every year, the owners are afraid of being kicked down to a lower league. So every year they shell out for rich contracts for players.
Does an owner want to pay all that money? I think a lot of owners want the best players and they want to win and they want championships. They will spend the money they need to get there. But they might not quite love the high salaries. Hearing the numbers, signing the big contracts—yes, they want to win, but paying all that money might sting a little. They want the product; they don’t love the price. When we use “shell out,” we’re talking about paying for something expensive, and it usually hurts a little to pay that high price. You can use “shell out” for something you want, but which is expensive or, as we’ll see, for something you have to pay, even if you don’t want to.
Have you heard of the Hamptons? It’s a part of New York State, near the ocean. A lot of people who live in New York City have summer homes or vacation homes in the Hamptons. It’s a few hours’ drive or train from the city; some people prefer to take a helicopter. (It’s that kind of area!) Anyone shopping for a home in the Hamptons will have to shell out more this year than ever before. That’s because the demand from the pandemic has driven prices up over 30 percent. Ouch! Okay, the buyers of those homes: they want the house in the Hamptons. It’s a lot of money. They will pay the money. But they’re not going to love the price. You can’t be a bargain-hunter these days. If you want that house in the Hamptons, you’re going to have to shell out.
A big American drug company had to shell out $19 million in lawsuit settlements. They were accused of discriminating in their salaries against people based on their race and ethnicity. As a result, they settled the lawsuit and had to pay $19 million. That’s a lot of money. I guarantee you they didn’t like paying that money.
If you’re selling something affordable, you might say that your customers don’t need to shell out for the expensive brands. Come buy the more affordable version instead, you might say. There’s no need to shell out for a designer handbag. You can get a stylish one from Kate Spade for a lot less. If you follow lots of Instagram influencers, you might be under the impression that you have to shell out for lots of expensive beauty products. But you probably don’t need to shell out too much cash: a lot of very similar beauty products are available for much lower prices.
I hear from so many people that they want to save up a lot of money and come to the US or Canada and study English at a university. And that can be a good option for some people. But it’s awfully expensive. And I honestly think that most people should not shell out for an expensive course in America. One thing I’ve heard people do is go to Australia on a temporary work permit that allows you to get a job for a period of time. I think that’s a great option because you can make a little money and you’re forced to learn on the job.
Quote of the Week
Time for a quote of the week. Today’s is from a former Dutch soccer player David Bergkamp. He said, “Behind every kick of the ball, there has to be a thought.” If only the Super League owners had consulted David Bergkamp! The Super League was a big action without much thought behind it. “Behind every kick of the ball, there has to be a thought.” Wise words on and off the field.
See you next time!
And that’s all for today. Remember, the story continues on Thursday, when we’ll talk about the three factors that brought down the Super League, including the intense fan reaction.
And if you enjoyed today’s lesson, and if you’d like to continue to build your skills in English, improve your pronunciation, get better at listening, and speak English with more confidence, then I invite you to join me, JR, and English learners around the world as a member of Plain English Plus+ . You’ll get lots of great resources and personalized support in your learning. We’d love to have you. So if this is of interest, come join us by visiting PlainEnglish.com/Plus.
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