you owe me
Debt between us
A phrase asserting that someone is indebted to you, typically for a favor done or sacrifice made on their behalf.
The debt is usually social rather than financial—an expectation of future reciprocity: I covered your shift, so you owe me.
Often said half-jokingly to remind someone they should return a kindness, or used to call in that debt later: Remember when I helped you move? You owe me.
- debtMoney owed another
- moral debtDuty owed through conscience
- favorKind act or preference
- return the favorRepay a kindness received
- quid pro quoReciprocal exchange of value
payback · obligation · repay · pay up · borrow · loan · grudge · guilt · reminder · promise · IOU · settle · settling up · dues · reciprocate · leverage · big time · collect
- informal agreementsverbal agreement, oral agreement, handshake deal, gentleman's agreement, verbal contract
- ingratitudeungrateful, thankless, ingrate, thanks for nothing, take for granted
obligation vs. freedom
you owe meno strings attached
Without obligations or conditions
clean slate · freely given · no obligation · call it even · on the house