Useful English Word or Phrase to Boost Your English: Pull Your Pants Down

What does it mean?

To pull your pants down is an informal phrase used to mean charging someone far too much money, or severely exploiting them in a deal or negotiation. It suggests that the person has been taken advantage of in a very unfair way, especially with prices or contracts.

Is it positive or negative?

It is strongly negative — it describes a situation where one person or company has behaved unfairly and the other has been made to pay too much or accept a bad deal.

When do you use it?

Use it in informal conversation when talking about high prices, bad contracts, or situations where someone has clearly been overcharged or treated unfairly in a business or money situation. It’s common in the UK when complaining about bills, repairs, or expensive services.

Examples

Example 1: “That garage completely pulled your pants down with that bill — £500 just to change the brakes is ridiculous.”

Example 2: “Be careful with that estate agent; they’ll try to pull your pants down on the fees if you don’t read the contract properly.”

Question for you

Have you ever felt like a company really pulled your pants down with a price or a contract?

Are you looking for English speaking practice online?

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