money for old rope

[Theseus]

Three suggested origins are:-
1) rope made from hemp had a limited lifetime. When it wore out it was picked apart and recycled. It was used for caulking. Rope fibres (known as oakum) were hammered into the seams between planks of a ship and hot pitch was poured over it. This was done to waterproof the ship. Of course you got money for the old rope. The phrase came to mean money for anything (seemingly) worthless.
2) the phrase refers to the sale of a hangman's rope.
3) http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/5/messages/657.html
None of these is very plausible.
Anyhow, money for old rope is money you get for doing something very easy.
--Babysitting is money for old rope if the children don't wake up.
--They always get the weather forecast wrong. The job of the weatherman is money for old rope!

 

[bernardina]

Πεταμένα λεφτά

 

[drsiebenmal]

Είσαι σίγουρη, Μπέρνι; Αυτό που δίνεις είναι από τη σκοπιά αυτού που πληρώνει. Όμως:

Anyhow, money for old rope is money you get for doing something very easy.

Εγώ θα έλεγα το απλό: (Πολύ) εύκολα λεφτά

 

[bernardina]

They always get the weather forecast wrong. The job of the weatherman is money for old rope!

Αυτό δεν είναι πεταμένα λεφτά;

Ίσως δεν είναι τόσο σαφές από τίνος τη μεριά το εννοεί ο Θησέας. Μπορεί και από τις δύο. Εν τοιαύτη περιπτώσει, με τον τρόπο που το εννοείς εσύ, θα το έλεγα απλώς αρπαχτή με την πρώτη σημασία.

 

[Zazula]

Τα «πολύ εύκολα λεφτά» είναι αρπαχτή — ή μήπως «σαν να κλέβεις παγκάρι»;

 

[drsiebenmal]

Ναι, ή σαν να κλέβεις εκκλησία

 

[daeman]

...
Easy Money - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds / King Krimson / Rickie Lee Jones / Billy Joel / Bruce Springsteen

Οδηγός αρπαχτής για εύκολο χρήμα.

 

[nickel]

Καθαρά easy money.

money for old rope (or money for jam)
British informal money or reward earned for little or no effort: he charged £65 for a 30-minute consultation—talk about money for old rope (ODE)

Urban:
money for jam
Money that is easily made
Man, do you know how much I got for writing this piece? And it only took me half an hour to do it. I'm telling you, it was money for jam.

Έχουμε και το άκοπα χρήματα / άκοπα λεφτά.

 

[Themis†]

σκέτη αργομισθία

 

[nickel]

καθισιό και άγιος ο Θεός

 

[drsiebenmal]

Αμάν με τα πολιτικά σας!

 

[daeman]

...
Μια και αναφέρθηκε: αρπαχτή = (quick and) easy money, fast buck, scam

 

[AoratiMelani]

Ναι, ή σαν να κλέβεις εκκλησία

εξάκτλυ. :)