- penny-wise
- adjective Etymology: from the phrase penny-wise and pound-foolish Date: 1607 wise or prudent only in dealing with small sums or matters
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
penny-wise
Look at other dictionaries:
Penny wise — Penny Pen*ny, n.; pl. {Pennies}or {Pence}. Pennies denotes the number of coins; pence the amount of pennies in value. [OE. peni, AS. penig, pening, pending; akin to D. penning, OHG. pfenning, pfenting, G. pfennig, Icel. penningr; of uncertain… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
penny-wise — [pen′ē wīz′] adj. careful or thrifty in regard to small matters penny wise and pound foolish careful or thrifty in small matters but careless or wasteful in major ones * * * pen·ny wise or pen·ny·wise (pĕnʹē wīz ) adj. Careful in dealing with… … Universalium
penny-wise — [pen′ē wīz′] adj. careful or thrifty in regard to small matters penny wise and pound foolish careful or thrifty in small matters but careless or wasteful in major ones … English World dictionary
penny wise — adjective 1. Careful at saving small sums, esp when careless in the saving of larger ones (pound foolish) 2. Niggardly on occasions when generosity is needed or expected • • • Main Entry: ↑penny … Useful english dictionary
penny wise — adjective careful to save small amounts of money. Phrases penny wise and pound foolish economical in small matters but extravagant in large ones … English new terms dictionary
penny-wise — /ˈpɛni waɪz/ (say penee wuyz) adjective thrifty in regard to small sums. {from the adage penny wise and pound foolish thrifty in small expenditures while wasteful in large ones} …
penny-wise and/but pound-foolish — careful about small amounts of money but not about large amounts used especially to describe something that is done to save a small amount of money now but that will cost a large amount of money in the future The administration s plans to cut fu … Useful english dictionary
penny wise, pound foolish — Someone who is penny wise, pound foolish can be very careful or mean with small amounts of money, yet wasteful and extravagant with large sums … The small dictionary of idiomes
penny wise and pound foolish — Wise or careful in small things but not careful enough in important things. A proverb. * /Mr. Smith s fence is rotting and falling down because he wouldn t spend money to paint it. He is penny wise and pound foolish./ … Dictionary of American idioms
penny wise and pound foolish — Wise or careful in small things but not careful enough in important things. A proverb. * /Mr. Smith s fence is rotting and falling down because he wouldn t spend money to paint it. He is penny wise and pound foolish./ … Dictionary of American idioms
