spoiled the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar

A form of spoil the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar — To have something important fail for want of a small amount of money or effort.

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Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of spoil the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar
Cite this entry
APA

spoiled the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spoiled%20the%20ship%20for%20a%20ha'p'orth%20of%20tar

MLA

“spoiled the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spoiled%20the%20ship%20for%20a%20ha'p'orth%20of%20tar. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spoiled the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spoiled%20the%20ship%20for%20a%20ha'p'orth%20of%20tar.

Source: spoiled the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.