under the table

What it means

Done secretly and often illegally or dishonestly, especially when money changes hands without being officially recorded. It commonly refers to bribes or cash payments meant to avoid taxes or rules.

Examples

• The contractor offered to do the job under the table for half the price.
• He was paid under the table, so none of it was taxed.
• Officials accepted money under the table to approve the permits quickly.
• She got the apartment by slipping the landlord some cash under the table.

Where it comes from

From the literal image of passing money or favours secretly beneath a table, out of sight; the figurative 'illicit payment' sense became common in 20th-century English.

Related idioms