A: Where are you going for winter vacation?

    B: I will stay home. After fooling around for most of the semester, I have to pay the piper and study over vacation.

    Note: Similar to idioms like “pay the price” and “face the music,” this means to “face the results of one’s actions and receive punishment for something.” Some people attribute the idiom to folklore “The Pied Piper of Hamelin.” After the piper charmed the rats away from the city, the townsfolk refused to pay him since the job was already done. So he charmed their children away and the town was devastated. Therefore, the townsfolk finally paid a heavy price for not keeping their promise.