a bad penny
a bad penny
A person with no value. Typically used in the proverb "A bad penny always turns up." A: "I don't think we'll see Todd again now that he's been disgraced at work." B: "You never know—a bad penny always turns up."
See also: bad, penny
penny
informal The sum of one's available money. I didn't have a penny back in college. I survived off of rice, beans, and plain pasta for weeks at a time. We put every penny we had into this business. I don't know what we'll do if it doesn't succeed.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
bad penny
a worthless person. Wally is a bad penny. Someday he'll end up in jail. My little brother is a real bad penny. Every time he shows up, he wants to borrow money.
See also: bad, penny
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
penny
n. a police officer. (A play on copper. See the note at copper.) The penny over on the corner told the boys to get moving.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
- teach a man to fish
- it takes a village
- village
- beget
- tomorrow never comes
- a man is judged by the company he keeps
- a man is known by the company he keeps
- a rotten apple spoils the (whole) barrel
- a rotten apple spoils the (whole) bunch
- a bad apple spoils the (whole) barrel