Meanings
- UKExpressing that, having begun something (that involves significant risk or effort), one intends to see it to completion rather than stopping short.
Having tripped the bank's alarms, he simply uttered: "in for a penny, in for a pound", and continued on.
5 more examples
Well than, O'er shooes, o'er boots. And In for a Penny, in for a Pound. Whee—ho— Toby.
1695, Edward Ravenscroft, The Canterbury Guests, or, a Bargain Broken a Comedy: Acted at the Theatre-Royal, London: Daniel Brown, John Walthoe, →OCLC, act V, scene i, page 50“Well, this a pretty go, is this here!—an uncommon pretty go! Here have I been a matter of how many weeks—hard upon six—a-follering up this here blessed old dowager, petty lareenerer […] and Dotheboys Hall a-running itself regularly to seed the while! That's the worst of ever being in with a ow-dacious chap like that old Nickleby; you never know when he's done with you, and if you're in for a penny, you're in for a pound.”
1838 March – 1839 October, Charles Dickens, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 565Nothing venture, nothing win - / Blood is thick, but water's thin - / In for a penny, in for a pound - / It's love that makes the world go round!
1882, November 25 (first performance), W[illiam] S[chwenck] Gilbert; Arthur Sullivan, music, […] Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri, London: Chappell & Co., published [1885?], act II, page 36Under the circumstances it seemed to be a case of ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’. If the Institute’s team were still prepared to accept the challenge, the Administration was willing to do likewise…
1964, J. F. Holleman, Experiment in Swaziland: report of the Swaziland sample survey, 1960, page 9…in for a penny, in for a pound: if one undertakes something, it must be carried through at whatever cost.
1964, Sanki Ichikawa, The Kenkyusha Dictionary of Current English Idioms, page 509Synonyms: in for a dime, in for a dollar, in for an inch, in for a mile
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbExpressing that, having begun something (that involves significant risk or effort), one intends to see it to completion rather than stopping short.
Origin
Originally with reference to the fact that if one owed a penny, one might as well owe a pound (pound sterling, UK currency) as the penalties for non-payment were virtually identical in severity.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan perdut per perdut, la manta al coll, perdut per perdut, m'agafo allà on puc
- perdut per perdut, la manta al collExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
- perdut per perdut, m'agafo allà on pucExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Chinese 一不做，二不休
- 一不做，二不休 (yī bù zuò, èr bù xiū)Expressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Czech když už, tak už
- když už, tak užExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Dutch wie a zegt, moet ook b zeggen
- wie a zegt, moet ook b zeggenExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Esperanto kiu sin enjungis, devas tiri
- kiu sin enjungis, devas tiriExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Finnish asiat pitää viedä loppuun asti, joka leikkiin ryhtyy, se leikin kestäköön
- asiat pitää viedä loppuun astiExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
- joka leikkiin ryhtyy, se leikin kestäköönExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
French quand le vin est tiré, il faut le boire, le premier pas engage au second
- quand le vin est tiré, il faut le boireExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
- le premier pas engage au secondExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
- qui dit A, doit dire BExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
- foutu pour foutuExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
- perdu pour perduExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
German wer A sagt, muss auch B sagen, wenn schon, denn schon
- wer A sagt, muss auch B sagenExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
- wenn schon, denn schonExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Hungarian aki á-t mond, mondjon b-t is
- aki á-t mond, mondjon b-t isExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Irish ó loisc mé an choinneal loiscfidh mé an t-orlach
- ó loisc mé an choinneal loiscfidh mé an t-orlachExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Italian abbiamo fatto 30, facciamo 31
- abbiamo fatto 30, facciamo 31Expressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Norwegian Bokmål har man sagt A, må man også si B
- har man sagt A, må man også si BExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Polish jak się powiedziało A, to trzeba powiedzieć B
- jak się powiedziało A, to trzeba powiedzieć BExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Portuguese perdido por cem, perdido por mil, perdido por um, perdido por mil
- perdido por cem, perdido por milExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
- perdido por um, perdido por milExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Spanish de perdidos al río
- de perdidos al ríoExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Swedish har man tagit fan i båten får man ro honom i land, har man sagt A får man säga B
- har man tagit fan i båten får man ro honom i landExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
- har man sagt A får man säga BExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Vietnamese đâm lao thì phải theo lao
- đâm lao thì phải theo laoExpressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof
Cite this entry
in for a penny, in for a pound. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20for%20a%20penny%2C%20in%20for%20a%20pound
“in for a penny, in for a pound.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20for%20a%20penny%2C%20in%20for%20a%20pound. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in for a penny, in for a pound,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20for%20a%20penny%2C%20in%20for%20a%20pound.
Source: in for a penny, in for a pound on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.