Short of money; financially constrained or lacking sufficient resources.
From strap, originally meaning to fasten with a strap. The slang meaning 'broke, without money' emerged in early 20th-century American English, possibly from the image of being bound or restricted by financial constraints.
The evolution from physical binding to financial constraint shows how we understand abstract concepts through concrete metaphors. Being 'strapped for cash' literally evokes the feeling of being tied down, unable to move freely due to monetary limitations.
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