spend a penny

spend a penny
Vrb phrs. To urinate, to go to the lavatory. A euphemism derived from a fee charged in public toilets, albeit usually only in the women's; the saying is based on a pre-inflatatory figure. Informal

English slang and colloquialisms. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • spend a penny — ► spend a penny Brit. informal, euphemistic urinate. Main Entry: ↑spend …   English terms dictionary

  • spend a penny — (UK) This is a euphemistic idiom meaning to go to the toilet …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • spend a penny — verb eliminate urine Again, the cat had made on the expensive rug • Syn: ↑make, ↑urinate, ↑piddle, ↑puddle, ↑micturate, ↑piss, ↑pee, ↑pee pee, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • spend a penny — British & Australian, informal if you say you are going to spend a penny, you mean you are going to go to the toilet. Excuse me, I must go and spend a penny …   New idioms dictionary

  • Spend a penny — To spend a penny is to go to the bathroom. It is a very old fashioned expression that still exists today. It comes from the fact that in ladies loos you used to operate the door by inserting an old penny …   The American's guide to speaking British

  • spend a penny Brit. — spend a penny Brit. euphemistic urinate. [with ref. to coin operated locks of public toilets.] → spend …   English new terms dictionary

  • spend a penny — Meaning Go to the toilet. Origin In England public toilets used to have coin (penny) operated locks. Hence the graffiti Here I sit broken hearted, Paid a penny and only farted …   Meaning and origin of phrases

  • spend a penny — verb To use the toilet …   Wiktionary

  • spend a penny — (UK)    This is a euphemistic idiom meaning to go to the toilet.   (Dorking School Dictionary) …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • spend a penny —    to urinate    Normally referring to urination by either sex, although only women were required, for the purpose of urination, to produce that particular coin needed to operate the lock of a British public lavatory turnstile or cubicle …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

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