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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

a bad penny always turns up en · X

Pronunciation

  • /ə bæd pɛni ɔɫweɪz tɝnz ʌp/
  • (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

  1. A person or thing which is unpleasant, dishonorable, or unwanted tends to appear (or reappear), especially at inopportune times.
    • I had managed to avoid Julie for almost four years, but, as my grandmother used to say, the bad penny always turns up, and Julie Evanson was one very bad penny. 2011, Gail Bowen, The Further Investigations of Joanne Kilbourn, →ISBN:
    • It has been wisely said: “A bad penny always turns up again.” . . . Merwin K. Hart turns up again and again. And the Money-Changers of the Republican Party have knowingly sought to profit from Hart's lobby activities. 1952, Ralph Morris Goldman, “The Money-Changers at the Ballot Box: A Study of Republican Election Buying,”, in The Future Catches Up, Vol. 2, published 2002, →ISBN, page 89:
    • Being superstitious was common among a lot of the military. . . . Aircraft were given names such as The Bad Penny (as in a bad penny always turns up). 2005, Ron Greer and Mike Wicks, Fire from the Sky: A diary over Japan (2013 iUniverse edition), p. 184 (Google preview)
    • Elsa Schneider: I never expected to see you again. Indiana Jones: I'm like a bad penny. I always turn up. 1989, Jeffrey Boam (author of screenplay), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, (excerpts at wikiquote)
  2. An action or task that is carried out improperly eventually causes problems.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
the bad penny always comes back alternative lexicographic
the bad penny always turns up alternative lexicographic
a bad penny always comes back alternative lexicographic

Relateds

bad penny

Translations (9)

hu rossz pénz nem vész el (unwanted person or thing reappears) · pl złe nie śpi (unwanted person or thing reappears) · es hierba mala nunca muere (unwanted person or thing reappears) · it chi scava una fossa vi cade dentro (unwanted person or thing reappears) · pl diabeł nie śpi (unwanted person or thing reappears) · fi mikäs se pahan tappaisi (unwanted person or thing reappears) · pl licho nie śpi (unwanted person or thing reappears) · it l'erba cattiva non muore mai (unwanted person or thing reappears) · nl onkruid vergaat niet (unwanted person or thing reappears)