have one's hand in the till
To embezzle, to steal from one's place of business.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The manager fired the clerk for having his hand in the till.”
“The audit revealed that the accountant had his hand in the till for several months, stealing thousands of dollars.”
“The company’s reputation collapsed once the public discovered that the trusted treasurer had his hand in the till, siphoning off funds meant for charity.”
Derived from the act of a shop assistant removing cash from a business register. The phrase preserves the earlier use of till as the compartment or drawer where money is kept.
- 01
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 02
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 03
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 04
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 05
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 06
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 07
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 08
albatross around one's neck
A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
Last updated August 10, 2026