penny-wise and pound-foolish

A form of penny wise and pound foolish — Prudent and thrifty with small amounts of money, but wasteful with large amounts.

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Meanings

adjective
  1. alternativeAlternative form of penny wise and pound foolish.
Cite this entry
APA

penny-wise and pound-foolish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/penny-wise%20and%20pound-foolish

MLA

“penny-wise and pound-foolish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/penny-wise%20and%20pound-foolish. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “penny-wise and pound-foolish,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/penny-wise%20and%20pound-foolish.

Source: penny-wise and pound-foolish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.