penny

Phrases

a bad penny always turns up

proverb someone or something unwelcome will always reappear or return: ‘She’s always turning up.’ Like a bad penny, Clare thought viciously

be two (or ten) a penny

chiefly British be plentiful and consequently of little value: princes used to be two a penny in Hungary

count (or watch or US pinch) the (or your) pennies

be careful about how much one spends: George and Betty have had to watch the pennies since he took early retirement

in for a penny, in for a pound

used to express someone’s intention to see an undertaking through, however much time, effort, or money this entails: oh hell, I thought, in for a penny, in for a pound, and scrubbed the place from top to bottom

look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves

proverb if you concentrate on saving small amounts of money, you’ll soon amass a large amount.

pennies from heaven

unexpected benefits, especially financial ones: compared with the cost of buying the database outright, paying as you go may seem like pennies from heaven

the penny dropped

informal, chiefly British used to indicate that someone has finally realized something: I was about to ask Jack who it was, when the penny suddenly dropped

a penny for your thoughts

used to ask someone what they are thinking about.