Dictionary

spenny en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈspɛni/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Variant of spendy. Possibly influenced by a clipping of expensive.

Meanings

1. (Australia, UK, informal) Expensive.
   • My mate Nick's got a Wild Country Voyager that was pretty spenny and obviously high performance but small (having said that he only paid 80 quid for it from outside cos it'd been a demo at a show). 1999 May 25, Matt Schofield, “liberate the gear freak...”, in uk.rec.climbing (Usenet):
   • "Rather a spenny little bundle, I'm afraid," he thought, "but strictly expense account stuff. […]" 1994, Humphrey Drummond, chapter 7, in Nazi Gold: the Search for the Party Treasure, London: The Historical Press Ltd, →ISBN, page 79:
   • A good 'going out top' will see you through many seasons to come. It is arguably the most important half of the classic 'jeans and a nice top' outfit combo. But finding these miracle tops is easier said than done. They can often be quite spenny or, depending on the neckline, impossible to find a bra to wear underneath. 2023 March 6, Natasha Harding, “I've found the perfect 'going out' top, and it's from H&M”, in Cosmopolitan UK, London: Hearst Magazines UK, →ISSN, archived from the original on 04 Jul 2023:
   • Darling Ray, ¶ Having narrowly escaped being consumed by flesh-eating maggots (spawned by the world of television, rather than the dead-body-munching kind), I’ve fled to Majorca (spa was too spenny). I’m here working as a wedding planner. Please stop laughing!!! 2009, Samantha Scott-Jeffries, “Heels on Wheels” (chapter 6), in I Do, I Do, I Do, London: Little Black Dress, →ISBN, page 98:
   • Davey would buy these spenny glass jars of food for the baby, but Aidan was lucky if he got chips and scraps. 2017, Tony Williams, chapter 4, in Nutcase, London: Salt Publishing Limited, →ISBN, page 15:
   • Why bother with spenny cans of aspartame/sugar filled muck, when a bottle of water and a few caffeine tabs will do the job instead, hmmmmmm? Just my pen'north. 2003 May 30, Flora, “Mike's topical tip No 2”, in uk.food+drink.misc (Usenet):
   • Ibanez will probably be too spenny unless you find one secondhand with an owner who doesn't appreciate its real value. 2000 July 5, tom8...@my-deja.com, “mid-budget archtop jazz choice ?”, in uk.music.guitar (Usenet):

Forms

Synonyms

dear · spenno · costful · steep · costly · fancy · 5-star · out of sight · dispendious · exy · dearthful · expenny · spenny · ruinous · cost-prohibitive · ex · lickpenny · dear · chargeful · million-dollar · high-cost · spendy · pricey · costly · high-priced · expensive · big-ticket · princely · overdear · spendy · splurgy · cheap at half the price