- drive a hard bargain (idiom): expect a lot for what you pay for
– She drives a hard bargain whenever she sells clothing in the outside marketplace.
Customer: Whoa! They’re way too expensive. I’ll give you twenty-five bucks for them.
Merchant: Ah, come on. I can’t charge you less than thirty dollars and break even.
Customer: Well, that guy over there is selling similar records for a much better price [Ah!], so thanks anyway.
Merchant: Wait, wait, wait, wait. You drive a hard bargain. Twenty-eight dollars, and that’s my final offer.
