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- DictionaryA bad penny always turns up
- ▪ someone or something unwelcome will always reappear or return
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The idiom “bad penny” has been used in the English language for centuries to describe a person or thing that keeps coming back, especially when they are not wanted. This phrase is often used to express frustration or annoyance with someone or something that just won’t go away.
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Informal, mainly British an objectionable person or thing (esp in the phrase turn up like a.... Click for English pronunciations, examples sentences, video.
Sep 21, 2022 · When used to describe a person, a bad penny means a worthless, shady, morally questionable, unpleasant, or annoying person. The phrase "a bad penny" is typically used in the idiom "a bad penny always turns up".
Bad penny Origin and History - The full expression is a bad penny always turns up where a bad penny is an unwanted, no-good person who will always make repeated appearances and intrusions.
Definition: The phrase a bad penny refers to a person or thing which is unpleasant, dishonorable, or unwanted that is likely to reappear, particularly at inconvenient times. The phrase a bad penny is usually used in the proverb: A bad penny always turns up.
The phrase a bad penny refers to a person or thing which is unpleasant, dishonorable, or unwanted that is likely to reappear, particularly at inconvenient times. Examples: Oh, you can't lose a bad penny like me, you know.
The unwanted or worthless object or person is sure to return. A proverb in several languages besides English, this expression dates from the days when coins had intrinsic worth and a bad penny (or shilling or crown) was one that was made of inferior metal or contained less metal than it should.
