What does ‘money doesn't grow on trees’ mean?
To “money doesn't grow on trees” means to money isn't easy to come by. A modern English proverb, not in Brewer's 1898 in this exact form.
Origin
- A modern English proverb, not in Brewer's 1898 in this exact form.
How to use it
- Common parental scolding.
- Example: You can't buy every game — money doesn't grow on trees.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.