penny in the fusebox

noun

An improvised repair made with no regard for safety.

“The fix I made was just a penny in the fusebox; we need to revisit it and fix the problem for real.”

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Meanings

noun
  1. idiomaticengineeringAn improvised repair made with no regard for safety.

    The fix I made was just a penny in the fusebox; we need to revisit it and fix the problem for real.

  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see penny, in, the, fusebox.

Origin

By metaphorical extension from the literal sense, a makeshift to close a circuit when no replacement fuse is at hand.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

penny in the fusebox. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/penny%20in%20the%20fusebox

MLA

“penny in the fusebox.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/penny%20in%20the%20fusebox. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “penny in the fusebox,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/penny%20in%20the%20fusebox.

Source: penny in the fusebox on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.