it costs a pretty penny
it is expensive
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Many students will live on their own for the first time in either an on-campus dorm or an off-campus apartment, both of which will likely COST A PRETTY PENNY.
(Business Insider)
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Securing one of the luxurious new watches, which also feature the Hermes name etched on the stainless steel case of Apple's time-telling tech gadget, will COST A PRETTY PENNY.
(TheStreet)
(Business Insider)
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Securing one of the luxurious new watches, which also feature the Hermes name etched on the stainless steel case of Apple's time-telling tech gadget, will COST A PRETTY PENNY.
(TheStreet)
Did you
know?
cost a pretty penny
idiom
- to be expensive; to cost a lot of money
(McGraw-Hill Dictionary)
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If something is expensive when it costs a pretty penny, does that mean it's cheap if it costs an ugly penny? Not really. But we might say that it didn't cost one red cent, an expression that probably relates to the reddish colour of copper pennies.
In the expression "cost a pretty penny," pretty has nothing to do with beauty. It simply means a lot, a usage that goes back to the 15th century (He was pretty impressed with my presentation).
Other penny phrases that you might hear or read include:
- a penny for your thoughts = something that you say in order to ask someone who is being very quiet what they are thinking about ('A penny for your thoughts.' Sorry, I was just thinking about our upcoming holiday.')
- pinch pennies = to be thrifty, miserly (I had to pinch pennies when I was in college)
- a bad penny = a worthless person (I wouldn't talk to him if I were you. He's a bad penny.)
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SYNONYMS
costly, expensive, pricey, steep, it cost an arm and a leg
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"Some smart phones can cost you a pretty penny."
idiom
- to be expensive; to cost a lot of money
(McGraw-Hill Dictionary)
---
If something is expensive when it costs a pretty penny, does that mean it's cheap if it costs an ugly penny? Not really. But we might say that it didn't cost one red cent, an expression that probably relates to the reddish colour of copper pennies.
In the expression "cost a pretty penny," pretty has nothing to do with beauty. It simply means a lot, a usage that goes back to the 15th century (He was pretty impressed with my presentation).
Other penny phrases that you might hear or read include:
- a penny for your thoughts = something that you say in order to ask someone who is being very quiet what they are thinking about ('A penny for your thoughts.' Sorry, I was just thinking about our upcoming holiday.')
- pinch pennies = to be thrifty, miserly (I had to pinch pennies when I was in college)
- a bad penny = a worthless person (I wouldn't talk to him if I were you. He's a bad penny.)
---
SYNONYMS
costly, expensive, pricey, steep, it cost an arm and a leg
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"Some smart phones can cost you a pretty penny."
