pay the piper

1. To pay the consequences for self-indulgent behavior: “If you stay up late at night to watch TV, in the morning you will have to pay the piper.”

Idioms and Phrases

see under call the tune .

Example Sentences

"Hamas and the Palestinians have been attacking Israel for 20 years. It's time to pay the piper."

From Salon

But the surveys also show that the public writ large is far less sympathetic to Mr. Trump than the GOP primary electorate, and more likely to think it is time for him to pay the piper.

From Washington Times

"Trump has escaped accountability for too long. It's well past time to pay the piper."

From Salon

In fact, whether you’re a full-time worker dealing with a single 1040 or a freelancer / gig worker getting a series of 1099s, the fastest way to pay the piper these days is to do it online.

From The Verge

"They took my life, they took my soul and they need to pay the piper for it," the victim’s mother, Liceal Brazell, said.

From Fox News