pound of flesh

English

Etymology

From Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, in which Antonio literally owes a pound of his flesh to the moneylender Shylock.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

pound of flesh (plural pounds of flesh)

1. (idiomatic, sensitive) Something which is owed and which will be hurtful or difficult to provide; a debt owed to someone who is merciless and demanding.
   • 1915 October, Willa Sibert Cather, chapter I, in The Song of the Lark, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin Company […], →OCLC, part V (Doctor Archie’s Adventure), page 348:

     You must be under the impression that I'm one of these damned New England sharks that get their pound of flesh off the widow and orphan.

   • 1998, “Celebrity Skin”, performed by Hole:

     When I wake up in my makeup / It's too early for that dress / Wilted and faded somewhere in Hollywood / I'm glad I came here with your pound of flesh

   • 2012 September 22, “Indian Reform: At Last”, in The Economist:

     […] [Trinamool] Congress [Party] will need to strike deals with other regional allies, such as Mulayam Singh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh. Their pound of flesh will be anti-reform, too.

Usage notes

• Sensitive due to the antisemitism controversy surrounding the Shylock character, including evocation of the blood libel.

References

• “pound of flesh”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.