look as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence

verb

To look very disappointed.

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Meanings

verblook as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence (third-person singular simple present looks as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence, present participle looking as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence, simple past and past participle looked as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence)

present singular third person looks as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence · participle present looking as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence · participle past looked as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence · past looked as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence

  1. UKidiomaticTo look very disappointed.

Origin

In pre-decimal British money, a sixpence was worth half a shilling.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

look as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/look%20as%20if%20one%20had%20lost%20a%20shilling%20and%20found%20sixpence

MLA

“look as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/look%20as%20if%20one%20had%20lost%20a%20shilling%20and%20found%20sixpence. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “look as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/look%20as%20if%20one%20had%20lost%20a%20shilling%20and%20found%20sixpence.

Source: look as if one had lost a shilling and found sixpence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.