“Can you believe the nerve of these airlines charging a fee for checking a suitcase?”
You flew to another city recently. You brought two suitcases, but you were only allowed to carry on one. The airline charged you $25 for the other one. You're angry because that used to be free. You're complaining to a friend about it.
Can you believe the nerve of these airlines charging a fee for checking a suitcase?
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Can you believe the nerve of (someone)
Say this when you are angry at someone because they've done something selfish, and they are not sorry about it.
For example:
Can you believe the nerve of that girl? Staying out until 1 a.m. without so much as a phone call.
This is something that a parent can say about their teenage daughter.
"Can you believe the nerve of ___" is only for spoken English.
charge a fee for (something)
A "fee" is money you pay for a service.
For example, you might pay a fee for:
- your bank account
- applying to a university
- getting an item shipped to you
When you make someone pay a fee, you are "charging" a fee.
check a suitcase
When you fly, you are usually allowed to "carry on" one small suitcase. If you have larger suitcases or more than one of them, you have to "check" them. That means that you leave them at the counter where you get your tickets, and then pick them up from the baggage claim after the flight.