Rounding out my ends of month?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi, what exactly do you do when you ‘round out your ends of month’? Based on the context this phrase appeared it, I suppose it either means you earn a little extra income or you want another activity to occupy your time:

I’ve just retired in order to write a book, but I’m allowed to work part time and need to round out my ends of month.

Please, let me know what you think.
Thanks
Torsten[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, photographs: In the city[YSaerTTEW443543]

2

Hi Torsten

I don’t think I’ve ever heard that expression before. I’d only be able to guess the meaning based on context.

Is the sentence you gave the one that you originally found the expression in?

Amy

3

Yes Amy, that’s the very sentence. Any ideas? T[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, photographs: A large ship[YSaerTTEW443543]

4

Round = ‘make even, remove the sharp edges’

As a wild guess, if I am allowed. :roll:

We generally run out of our money by the end of every month, don’t we?

That part time job makes his months (time) go round (keep going smoothly)–maybe he does not feel the pinch at the end of every month because of that part time job.

Or

That job is able to move his time smoothly–by the end of the month, there is no financial problem.

Tom

5

Why do you think it’s a fixed expression?

Anyway…
Basing on dictionaries definitions:
round out – to complete smth, …
end(s) of month can be used not only for monthly payments (that are regularly made at the end of each month), but (I suppose) figuratively also for other (financial) obligations or commitments taken.

Just to join…

Or not?

6

Hi all

I’m guessing that it simply has to do with making ends meet at the end of each month. Probably the retirement income isn’t as high as the income prior to retirement and writing a book produces no income until it’s written. So the parttime job is financially necessary.

Amy

7

This expression seems to have been literally translated from the French “arrondir les fins de mois”, which, as you’ve guessed, means to get some extra income to make ends meet.

8

That’s explains a lot, Conchita. The sentence was written by an American who studied French and has been living in France for quite a number of years…[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, photographs: Cutting wood with an ax[YSaerTTEW443543]

9

Thanks, Conchita, Amy.

Funnily, but the Russian fixed expression for living within income is also make ends meet.
It’s similar (to ‘round ends’), isn’t it? :slight_smile: