Penny wise and pound foolish is an idiom that may be older than you think. We will look at the meaning of the phrase penny wise and pound foolish, who coined the term, and some examples of its use in sentences. Penny wise and pound foolish describes the act of concentrating so hard on economizing in small matters that one
misses the opportunity to save or gain a large amount of money in larger matters. This alludes to the pennies that make up a British pound. An example of someone being penny wise and pound foolish is a person who travels to many grocery stores to buy items on sale at each one, but ends up spending more in gas money driving between the stores than he saves in buying the grocery sale items. Another example of
being penny wise and pound foolish is someone who uses an inferior shingle to roof his house and ends up with expensive water damage because the roof leaked. The term penny wise and pound foolish was coined by Robert Burton in his work The Anatomy of Melancholy published in 1621. Burton was a scholar at Oxford University, primarily in the field of mathematics. He wrote The Anatomy of Melancholy as therapy for his own chronic depression. Examples
“I just think that’s penny wise and pound foolish if we don’t invest in having a detailed analysis done.” (The River Falls Journal) Nicholas Bala, an authority on family and children’s law at Queen’s University, describes the ministry as being “penny wise and pound foolish.”
(The Toronto Star) Because while conquering student debt rapidly may provide a psychological win, it is often penny wise, pound foolish; coming at the expense of long-term financial security.
(Forbes Magazine) "penny wise, pound foolish" means to be prudent and thrifty with small amounts of money, but wasteful and profligate with large amounts. Is there any equivalent in French? I have read "économiser un franc et en prodiguer mille" but I would prefer to be able to use it adjectivally, e.g. "Robert est penny wise, pound foolish" or "cette stratégie est penny wise, pound foolish".
asked Sep 20, 2017 at 2:31
 5 As it has been said in the comments, you have a few ways to say that, but none of them are perfect (or it would be too easy):
Is by far the most idiomatic expression with this meaning. As you noticed it is also not adjectival but you could just conjugates the verb and... tadaa!
Note that this expression is highly tight to financial issues, or at least issues related to a measurable quantity. You can't say that someone "fait des économies de chandelle" because he is shortsighted. At the opposite the word mesquin is closer to the general notion of being shortsighted and have a calculated generosity. Other expressions (like "avare au son et large à la farine" or "économiser un sou et en prodiguer mille") seem to exist but are very rare. I have never seen those ones before today. answered Sep 20, 2017 at 15:39
5 penny wise and pound foolish|foolish|penny|penny wWise or careful in small things but not careful enough in important things. penny wise and pound foolishpenny wise and pound
foolish penny-wise and pound-foolishSo anxious with extenuative money in any way accessible that one fails to admeasure money to things that will ultimately force one to absorb added (due to abridgement of quality, able maintenance, etc.). I apperceive you don't appetite to pay for this big-ticket advance of treatment, but back blank your bloom acreage you in the hospital and you accept to absence work, you'll see that you were penny-wise and pound-foolish.Learn more: andpenny astute and batter foolishStingy about baby expenditures and absurd with ample ones, as in Dean clips all the coupons for bazaar bargains but insists on activity to the best restaurants-penny astute and batter absurd . This byword alludes to British currency, in which a batter was already account 240 pennies, or pence, and is now account 100 pence. The byword is additionally occasionally acclimated for actuality actual accurate about unimportant affairs and absent-minded about important ones. It was acclimated in this way by Joseph Addison in The Spectator (1712): "A woman who will accord up herself to a man in alliance area there is the atomic Room for such an alarm ... may actual appropriately be accused ... of actuality penny astute and batter foolish." [c. 1600] Learn more: and, foolish, penny, pound, wisepenny astute and batter foolishaccurate and economical in baby affairs while actuality absent-minded or absurd in ample ones.Learn more: and, foolish, penny, pound, wisepenny astute and batter foolishPenurious about baby costs and absurd with ample ones. That such a advance is to be deplored was already fabricated bright in the sixteenth aeon and was anon transferred to the absurdity of actuality captious about unimportant affairs and absent-minded about important ones. In The Spectator of 1712 Joseph Addison wrote, “I anticipate a Woman who will accord up herself to a Man in marriage, area there is the atomic Room for such an Alarm . . . may actual appropriately be accused . . . of actuality Penny Astute and Batter foolish.” Learn more: and, foolish, penny, pound, wiseDictionary |
