spend a penny en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
From the act of putting a (pre-decimal) penny in the slot of a pay-toilet cubicle.
Meanings
-
(Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, dated, euphemistic) To use the toilet.
I put on a lick of paint, slip over and spend a penny in Costing…I should technically use the one in Records but I've told them, that lavatory seat is a death trap.
1982, Alan Bennett, “A Woman of No Importance”, in The Complete Talking Heads, Picador, published 2010, →ISBN, page 14:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| spends a penny | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| spent a penny | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| spent a penny | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| spending a penny | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |