What’s the Damage?

In English, damage is used as a colloquial term for a bill or the total amount charged for a service or an item.

Meaning of Idiom ‘What’s the Damage’

When someone asks “What’s the damage?” they are asking how much the bill for something is. In other words, they are asking “How much do I owe? What is the total expense?” 1Spears, Richard A. McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions. McGraw-Hill, 2007.

This idiom is sometimes used more generally to refer to trouble or misfortune.

See the related idiom foot the bill.

Sentence Examples

“I think we’ll skip dessert. What’s the damage?”

“I asked the mechanic what the damage was and it turned out that I only owed around 30 bucks for a five-minute fix.”

“You have 30 days to pay the balance of your mortgage, or you lose your gym.” “Perfect. What’s the damage? What do I owe you?” —  Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)

“How much? What’s the damage?” “For everything from the flowers to the honeymoon limo…” “Okay, everything. How much?” — Father of the Bride (1991)

“What’s the damage here?” “It happened right at closing. Some woman flipped out, threw her own kid in the moat.” — Deliver Us from Evil (2014)

“What’s the damage, Harry?” “Call it a quid, Tom.” — Straw Dogs (1971)

Origin

Since at least the late 1700s, the word damage has been used to mean the cost of anything; the sum total in the sense of recompense. “What’s the damage” means, then, “what do I pay?” This use alludes to ‘damages’ in a lawsuit, i.e. a sum of money claimed or awarded in compensation for a loss or an injury.

Below are some examples of the idiom’s use from the 19th century;

“Well, now, my good fellow, what’s the damage, as they say in Kentucky; in short, what’s to be paid out for this business.” — Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 1852

“When he wishes to know what he has to pay, he asks, ‘What’s the damage?’ or not so charitably, ‘What’s the swindle?'” — Americanisms: The English of the New World, De Vere, 1871

“Tell me if supper’s ready, and what’s the damage!” — Wardrop, J. Mathison, 1887

More Money-Related Idioms

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