penny wise and pound foolish
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Economical in small matters while wasteful in big matters.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Tiết kiệm ở những việc nhỏ nhưng hoang phí ở những việc lớn
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed on Wikipedia “List of proverbial phrases” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Figurative class: Paradox (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “penny wise and pound foolish” mean?
Economical in small matters while wasteful in big matters.
Is “penny wise and pound foolish” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.