Explaining “If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”

What does it mean?

The phrase "If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys" means that offering low wages will attract less skilled, less experienced, or incompetent workers. It suggests that inadequate compensation leads to poor quality in employees or services.

Tone

Origin

The phrase is believed to have originated in the 20th century, highlighting the idea that low pay will not attract high-quality employees.