money talks

English

Etymology

19th century, from earlier forms such as gold speaks (1666, in full, “Man prates, but gold speaks.”), as translation from Italian by Giovanni Torriano, in Piazza Universale di Proverbi Italiani: or, A Common Place of Italian Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, 179.[1]

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmʌn.i tɔːks/
(US) IPA^(key): /ˈmʌn.i tɔks/

Proverb

money talks

It is easier to accomplish goals using money instead of just talk.
- 2014 April 25, Paul Krugman, “The Piketty Panic”, in The New York Times‎, ISSN 0362-4331:
  Money still talks — indeed, thanks in part to the Roberts court, it talks louder than ever. Still, ideas matter too, shaping both how we talk about society and, eventually, what we do.

Usage notes

Here talk is used metaphorically to mean “has actual effect, shows seriousness”, as in similar actions speak louder than words. Contrast with sense “empty words, without impact”, as in talk is cheap and talk the talk.

Derived terms

money talks, bullshit walks

Translations

it is easier to accomplish goals using money

Arabic: please add this translation if you can
Chinese:
Mandarin: 錢可通神／钱可通神 (zh) (qiánkě tōngshén), 錢能通神／钱能通神 (zh) (qiánnéng tōngshén), 金錢萬能／金钱万能 (zh), 金钱万能 (jīnqián wànnéng), 有錢能使鬼推磨／有钱能使鬼推磨 (zh) (yǒu qián néng shǐ guǐ tuīmò)
Esperanto: mono parolas
Finnish: raha ratkaisee
French: l'argent parle (fr) (literally “money talks”)
German: Bargeld lacht (literally “[cash] money laughs”), Geld regiert die Welt (de)
Hindi: पैसा बोलता है (paisā boltā hai)
Hungarian: pénz beszél, kutya ugat (hu)
Irish: bíonn urraim don airgead
Japanese: 金が物を言う (kane ga mono o iu), 地獄の沙汰も金次第 (ja) (jigoku no sata mo kane shidai), 閻魔大王が下す地獄での判決も金次第では軽くもなる (Enma Daiō ga kudasu jigoku de no hanketsu mo kane shidaide wa karuku mo naru)
Korean: 돈이 좌우한다 (doni jwauhanda)
Russian: де́ньги реша́ют всё (dénʹgi rešájut vsjó), де́ньги пра́вят ми́ром (dénʹgi právjat mírom)
Hebrew: הכסף מדבר‎ (hakésef m'dabér)
Spanish: poderoso caballero es don dinero (literally “Mr. Money is a powerful gentleman”), la pela es la pela (Spain , colloquial, dated), el dinero manda
Turkish: para konuşur

References

The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, p. 212

[1] The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, p. 212