Spend a penny
Definitions
- to use the bathroom
to indicate the need to urinate or to visit the restroom
Examples of Spend a penny
I just popped into the restroom to spend a penny.
This idiom is used to mean that the speaker has briefly stepped away to use the toilet, as the phrase "spend a penny" was historically used in reference to the cost of using a public toilet where you inserted a penny into a coin slot to operate the door lock and flush the toilet. Today, the phrase is mostly used figuratively to indicate the need to use the restroom.
I spent a penny on the gumball machine, but it didn't dispense a single gumball.
In this example, the idiom is being used in a figurative sense to mean that the cost of the transaction was very low. In this context, spending a penny on a gumball machine would not have resulted in the purchase of a gumball. The speaker is likely indicating that they wasted a small amount of money on the machine with little to no payoff.
Don't bother me for a few minutes, I need to spend a penny.
Here, the speaker is requesting a brief period of privacy in order to visit the restroom, as the phrase "spend a penny" has come to signify the act of using the restroom.
I'm afraid I'm not in a position to spend a penny right now.
In this example, the idiom is being used to indicate that the speaker is financially strapped or in debt, making it difficult for them to afford even small expenses, such as using a public restroom. The expression emphasizes the notion that the speaker is not currently able to spend money, even on a basic necessity like using the restroom, which would typically only cost a penny.
I'm dying to use the restroom, but I don't want to spend a penny.
The phrase "spend a penny" is a British idiom that means to spend one penny, which is the cost of using a public toilet or restroom. In the example, the speaker wants to use the restroom but doesn't want to pay the small fee.
I'll just pop into the convenience store to spend a penny.
In this example, "spend a penny" is used as a euphemism for using the public restroom. The person is saying they will go into the convenience store, which also has public restrooms, to use the restroom without saying it directly.
You don't need to spend a penny to enjoy this park.
In this example, "spend a penny" is used figuratively to mean spend any money. The speaker is saying that visiting the park doesn't require any money spent.
The vending machine was out of change, so I couldn't spend a penny.
In this example, the speaker is using "spend a penny" to mean spend any amount of money, as they were trying to use the vending machine, but it did not have any small change so they couldn't make a purchase.
Conclusion
The idiom "spend a penny" is commonly used to politely indicate the need to use the bathroom or relieve oneself. It is a lighthearted and euphemistic way to express this basic human need.Origin of "Spend a penny"
The origin of the idiom "spend a penny" dates back to the early 20th century in England. It was originally used to refer to the act of using a public toilet, for which a penny was required as payment. The phrase became popular after the introduction of coin-operated public toilets in the UK in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term "spend a penny" was a polite way to reference the act of paying to use the restroom.
Over time, the idiom has evolved to simply mean the need to use the bathroom, without the literal requirement of spending a penny. It is now a widely understood and commonly used expression in British English. Despite its historical connection to paying for restroom facilities, the idiom is now more often used in a casual and humorous context.