Meanings
- UKinformalUnderstanding is reached; one comprehends.
The penny dropped as Fred realised he had been conned.
2 more examples
Suddenly various pennies began to drop; now I understood obscure remarks that had been made in my presence by the Ryans, or by the nuns at school, or by Old Brigid or Tommy's foster-mother.
1979, Dervla Murphy, Wheels Within Wheels, page 56AMY: In the time I've known you, when have you shown the slightest interest in a girl? MELS: Penny in the air! AMY: I've known you for, what, 10 years? I've seen you practically every day. Name one girl you've paid the slightest bit of attention to? (RORY is flustered, runs from the room.) AMY: Oh my God! Rory! (AMY runs after RORY.) MELS: And the penny drops!
2011 August 27 (broadcast date), Doctor Who, series 6, episode 8, Let's Kill Hitler
Translations
Danish der faldt tiøren
- der faldt tiørenunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
Dutch het kwartje is gevallen, zijn frank is gevallen
- het kwartje is gevallenunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
- zijn frank is gevallenunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
French ça a fait tilt, le franc est tombé
- ça a fait tiltunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
- le franc est tombéunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
- la pièce est tombéeunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
German der Groschen ist gefallen, der Groschen fällt
- der Groschen ist gefallenunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
- der Groschen fälltunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
Hungarian leesik a tantusz
- leesik a tantuszunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
Irish thit an phingin
- thit an phinginunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
Italian capire all'improvviso di, capire finalmente
- capire all'improvviso diunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
- capire finalmenteunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
- accendersi la lampadinaunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
- avere un'illuminazione dopo un momento di confusione o ritardounderstanding is reached, one comprehends
Persian دو هزازش جا افتاد meaning "his(/her) two thousand dropped"
- دو هزازش جا افتاد meaning "his(/her) two thousand dropped"understanding is reached, one comprehends
Polish dotarło
- dotarłounderstanding is reached, one comprehends
Portuguese caiu a ficha
- caiu a fichaunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
Romanian îi pica fisa
- îi pica fisaunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
Spanish cayó el veinte, cayó la ficha
- cayó el veinteunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
- cayó la fichaunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
- cayó en la cuentaunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
Swedish polletten faller ner, polletten trillar ner
- polletten faller nerunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
- polletten trillar nerunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
Turkish jeton düştü
- jeton düştüunderstanding is reached, one comprehends
Welsh mae'r geiniog wedi syrthio
- mae'r geiniog wedi syrthiounderstanding is reached, one comprehends
Cite this entry
the penny drops. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20penny%20drops
“the penny drops.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20penny%20drops. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the penny drops,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20penny%20drops.
Source: the penny drops on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.