turn up like a bad penny

Definitions

• reappear unexpectedly
  Describe someone or something that keeps coming back, especially when they are not wanted or welcome

Examples of turn up like a bad penny

• Despite avoiding him for weeks, my ex-boyfriend turned up like a bad penny at my doorstep yesterday evening.

  This idiom is used to describe someone who appears unexpectedly, just like a copper penny that keeps surfacing despite being tossed away multiple times. In this example, the ex-boyfriend has previously been avoided, but he returned like an unwelcome coin.

• After being dismissed from his previous job, the disgraced manager turned up like a bad penny at the boss's office, demanding his job back.

  This idiom can also be used to describe someone who returns after being rejected or dismissed. In this case, the manager has been fired but suddenly reappears trying to regain his former position.

• The previous tenant's habit of forgetting to pay rent on time turned up like a bad penny a few months later when the new tenant received a notice demanding overdue rent from the former tenant.

  This idiom is used to describe a recurring problem that never seems to go away. In this example, the previous tenant's failure to pay rent on time has resurfaced as a problem for the new tenant.

• As the project's deadline drew near, unexpected errors began to turn up like bad pennies, causing chaos and delaying its completion.

  This idiom can be used figuratively to describe unexpected problems that come up at inconvenient times. In this example, unforeseen errors keep popping up and disrupting the project's progress.

• After the disastrous concert last night, you can't seem to avoid the negative reviews that keep 'turning up like a bad penny'.

  This usage of the idiom implies that no matter how hard someone tries to avoid criticism, it keeps finding its way back to them, just as a penny that keeps resurfacing is considered 'bad'.

• Despite his best efforts to conceal his past mistakes, they keep 'turning up like a bad penny' to haunt him.

  This usage of the idiom indicates that someone's misdeeds continue to resurface, much like a pesky penny that just won't stay hidden.

• It seems like bad luck 'turns up like a bad penny' for this football team, as they suffer yet another defeat.

  This use of the idiom suggests that a team's losing streak is reminiscent of an unwelcome penny that seems to return time and time again.

• It's frustrating how this issue keeps 'turning up like a bad penny' in our meetings.

  This usage of the idiom is employed when a particular matter keeps resurfacing, causing repeated discussions or delays in decision-making, similar to the persistent reappearance of a troublesome penny.

Conclusion

The idiom "turn up like a bad penny" is used to describe someone or something that reappears unexpectedly, often in a negative or unwanted way. It can be used to convey the idea of persistence or unwelcome recurrence, and is often used in a somewhat light-hearted or humorous manner to express annoyance or frustration at the reappearance of someone or something.

Origin of "turn up like a bad penny"

The origin of the idiom "turn up like a bad penny" can be traced back to the 18th century, when the value of a penny was much higher. In those times, a bad or counterfeit penny would often resurface despite attempts to get rid of it. This led to the association of the penny with something unwanted or unwelcome that keeps reappearing.

The phrase became popular in the 19th century and has since been used in various forms of literature and media to convey the idea of something or someone persistently reappearing, much like a bad penny. Over time, it has become a common idiom in the English language, used to express the concept of unwanted recurrence.