To have just enough money to pay for basic necessities and expenses. To manage financially with limited resources.
This phrase dates to the 17th century and originally referred to making the two ends of a financial ledger balance - ensuring income matched expenses. The 'ends' metaphor comes from accounting practices where debits and credits needed to align perfectly.
The phrase originally had nothing to do with rope or string ends touching, despite what many people assume! It's actually a bookkeeping metaphor that became so common we forgot its accounting origins. Interestingly, the phrase has remained remarkably stable in meaning for over 300 years.
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