wage packet
(figurative) The salary of an employee.
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It said too many workers were living “wage packet to wage packet”, and a £15 minimum should be in place by at least 2030 but could be achieved sooner with a government that was serious about getting wages rising after…
"But millions of low-paid workers live wage packet to wage packet, struggling to get by - and they are now being pushed to the brink by eye-watering bills and soaring prices." The government said it was "determined to…
Definitions
(figurative) The salary of an employee.
It has been one of the eternal questions of the Premier League era, echoing down the years as kits have got tighter and wage packets heavier.
“It said too many workers were living “wage packet to wage packet”, and a £15 minimum should be in place by at least 2030 but could be achieved sooner with a government that was serious about getting wages rising after years of sluggish pay growth.”
“"But millions of low-paid workers live wage packet to wage packet, struggling to get by - and they are now being pushed to the brink by eye-watering bills and soaring prices." The government said it was "determined to make work pay" and that this year's increase in the minimum wage, in April, was the largest ever rise.”
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(UK, Irish, Commonwealth) An envelope or similar package in which a salary is given to a worker.
It has been one of the eternal questions of the Premier League era, echoing down the years as kits have got tighter and wage packets heavier.
"wage packet" means an envelope or similar package in which a salary is given to a worker. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"wage packet" is informal English meaning an envelope or similar package in which a salary is given to a worker. It is mainly heard in British English (and Irish English). A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "an envelope or similar package in which a salary is given to a worker" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "wage packet" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing.
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Semantically related
- paycheck64%
(US) A periodic payment, usually in the form of a paper check, received by an employee from an employer for work performed.
- packet61%
A small pack or package; a little bundle or parcel.
- wagie60%
(Internet slang) A wage slave.
- wagie60%
Internet slang, originating in cynical online communities (particularly 4chan and adjacent spaces), for a wage slave or someone who works a regular job for a salary. Used with contempt by people who see conventional employment as a trap or with ironic self-awareness by workers mocking their own situation. Often appears in memes contrasting the wagie with the independent or financially free.