Show me the money (Make, part 5)

Below, you can see the famous scene from Jerry Maguire in which Cuba Gooding, Jr. plays a football player who demands that his agent, played by Tom Cruise, show him the money. This became a very popular expression, as you can imagine, and one that still comes up in business when we're talking about possible projects or deals.

Most of us aren't athletes, celebrities or dealmakers, though. Most of us simply make money by working for ourselves or someone else. Technically, it's correct to say earn when you're talking about money you work for, but the best way to say it is with make. As in, "I don't make a lot of money but I make enough and I really enjoy my work." You can also make money by selling something, like a house or a stock. We say that a company makes money if it's profitable. In this case, the opposite of make money is lose money.