penny wise and pound foolish
Preserved but no longer current.
Said of one who is in danger of "spoiling the ship for a ha'porth of tar," like the man who lost his horse from his penny wisdom in saving the expense of shoeing it afresh when one of its shoes was loose; hence, one who is thrifty in small matters and careless over large ones is said to be penny wise.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “penny wise and pound foolish” mean?
Said of one who is in danger of "spoiling the ship for a ha'porth of tar," like the man who lost his horse from his penny wisdom in saving the expense of shoeing it afresh when one of its shoes was loose; hence, one who is thrifty in small matters and careless over large ones is said to be penny wise.
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.