I have dreamed of days when I could go shopping and buy whatever I wanted without worrying about the bill. It would also be fun to go to really nice restaurants, order the most expensive items, and not worry about the bill. Unfortunately I haven’t quite made it there yet. I find myself adding up prices in my head and counting the costs. This post will give you some Spanish idioms which involve ‘la cuenta’, which means ‘counting’, or ‘the bill’.

la cuenta | counting, bill

La cuenta es cuenta. | Business is business.
El gerente se rindó y dijo que la cuenta es cuenta. | The manger gave up and said business is business.

pasar la cuenta a alguien | to make someone pay for it
El problema es que todos quieren pasar la cuenta a otra persona. | The problem is that everyone wants to make someone else pay for it.
Me gusta pasar la cuenta a María sin que lo sepa. | I like to make Maria pay for it without her knowing it.

ajustar cuentas con alguien | to get even with someone
¡Yo ajustaré cuentas con ella! | I’ll get even with her!
Después de la lucha, juró que ajustaría cuentas con su oponente. | After the fight, he swore that he would get even with his opponent.

tener cuentas pendientes con alguien | to have unfinished business to settle, to have a bone to pick with someone
Kris Humphries tiene cuentas pendientes con Kim Kardashian. | Kris Humphries has a bone to pick with Kim Kardashian.
Tengo cuentas pendientes con mi contador. | I have unfinished business with my accountant.

They say that money can’t buy happiness. I’d like to see whether or not that’s true someday with my own money. Have fun and do your best not to be overcome by all the cuentas this holiday season.