ACT YOUR WAGE

What Does Act Your Wage Mean?

The Quick Answer

In the workplace, Act Your Wage means to only put in the amount of effort required to match your salary, or is an admonishment to a colleague to stop behaving like a boss. Outside of work, it means to live within your means.

Work to Your Salary

In this context, Act your wage is very similar in meaning to quiet quitting, in that it implies that the employee is setting boundaries and putting in the amount of effort commensurate with the salary they receive. For example:

• Lee: I'm going to be late tonight. I want to catch up with some work.
• Sam: You don't get paid enough for that! Act Your Wage and leave it until tomorrow.

Stop Behaving Like a Boss

Act Your Wage is also used to admonish a work colleague who is behaving like a boss or supervisor. For example:

• Ali: Right folks! That's enough gossiping for today. Let's get back to it.
• Ray: Who promoted you to management? Act your wage. We'll get back to it when we're ready.

Live Within Your Means

Outside of the workplace, Act Your Wage is used to admonish someone who is living beyond their financial means. For example:

• Toni: I'm going to get a 49-inch TV for the start of the new season.
• Jordan: You can't afford that! You have just taken out a loan for a new car. You need to start acting your wage.

Image for Act Your Wage

When I write Act Your Wage, I mean this:

Act Your Wage usually means to not go "above and beyond" at work.

Summary of Key Points for the First Definition

"Only Put In the Effort to Match Your Salary" is, by far, the most common meaning for Act Your Wage when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

Act Your Wage
Definition:	Only Put In the Effort to Match Your Salary
Type:	Word
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults

Summary of Key Points for the Second Definition

"Stop Behaving Like a Boss" is another common definition for Act Your Wage.

Act Your Wage
Definition:	Stop Behaving Like a Boss
Type:	Word
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults

Summary of Key Points for the Third Definition

Act Your Wage also means "Live Within Your Means."

Act Your Wage
Definition:	Live Within Your Means
Type:	Word
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults

An Academic Look at Act Your Wage

Act Your Wage is a neologism (i.e., a newly coined word or phrase which has emerged into everyday use). A neologism can be:

• A new meaning for an existing word (e.g., mood, sick).
• A completely new word (e.g., oversharers).
• A new combination of existing words (e.g., digital detox).

Example of Act Your Wage Used in a Text

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