burning a hole in your pocket
Cash you're itching to spend before it settles.
Also called money burning a hole in your pocket.
Updated September 21, 2026
burning a hole in your pocket pronunciation
/BER-ning uh hole in yer POK-it/
Meaning
When money is burning a hole in your pocket, you can barely stand to leave it alone. Payday, a tax refund, or a twenty from grandma all count. Rural Southern folks still say it when somebody's already halfway to the truck stop or the feed store before the wallet cools off.
How folks use it
- “That bonus is burning a hole in his pocket; he'll have a new cooler by supper.”
- “Don't hand him cash if it's burning a hole in your pocket, or it'll be gone by noon.”
Origin and etymology
The idea is old English talk. Writers in the 1700s said money "burns in" a pocket, meaning you hate holding onto it. By the 1800s the line grew into "burning a hole in your pocket." It stuck hard in American rural speech, including redneck talk about payday money that won't sit still.
Frequently asked questions
Does it only mean reckless spending?
Mostly it means you're eager to spend, not that you're broke yet. Sometimes that eagerness is fun. Sometimes Mama is already shaking her head.