pay court to
To woo; to shower with attention.
He had been paying court to her for three long years before he worked up the courage to ask her to marry him.
pay dirt
The dirt in which much gold is found.
The man searched for gold many years before he found pay dirt.
A valuable discovery. Often used in the phrase strike pay dirt.
When Bill joined the team, the coach struck pay dirt.
Jean looked in many books for facts about her hometown, and finally she struck pay dirt.
pay down
To give as a deposit on some purchase, the rest of which is to be paid in periodic installments.
"How much can you pay down on the house, sir?" the realtor asked.
To decrease a debt with periodical payments.
I'd like to pay down the charges on my credit cards.
pay for
To have trouble because of (something you did wrong or did not do); be punished or suffer because of.
When Bob could not get a good job, he realized he had to pay for all the years of fooling around instead of working in school.
Mary was very mean to John because she wanted to make him pay for all the years in which he had ignored her.
pay off
pay out
To pay the wages of.
The men were paid off just before quitting time, the last day before the holiday.
To pay and discharge from a job.
When the building was completed he paid off the laborers.
To hurt (someone) who has done wrong to you; get revenge on.
When Bob tripped Dick, Dick paid Bob off by punching him in the nose.
To bring a return; make profit.
At first Mr. Harrison lost money on his investments, but finally one paid off.
To prove successful, rewarding, or worthwhile.
Ben's friendship with the old man who lived beside him paid off in pleasant hours and broadened interests.
John studied hard before the examination, and it paid off. He made an A.
pay one back in his own coin
To retaliate.
Jim refused to help Bob when he needed it most, so Bob decided to pay him back in his own coin and told him to go and look for help elsewhere.
pay one's respect to
To discharge one's social obligations by visiting someone or by calling them on the phone.
The newly arrived people paid their respects to their various neighbors during their first couple of weeks in town.
pay one's way
To pay in cash or labor for your expenses.
He paid his way by acting as a guide.
To be profitable; earn as much as you cost someone; be valuable to an employer; to yield a return above expenses.
The bigger truck paid its way from the start.
We had to offer our new manager a large salary, but he was a capable man, and paid his way.