Caught short

(PW) I didn’t have enough money to pay the bill. I was caught short.

(free)

1. left without any money temporarily. I'm caught a little short. Can I borrow a few bucks?

2. pregnant and unmarried. Both of Jane's sisters got caught short before they graduated high school.

: not prepared for something Airlines were caught short of fuel because of the oil workers' strike.

Usage notes: often used when someone does not have enough money: The cash machines aren't working and I'm really caught short.

(your) caught short idiom

Found to be lacking something one needs, especially money, as in:

Can you pay the check? I seem to be caught short. This idiom uses short in the sense of “lacking money,” a usage dating from the early 1500s.