idiom
penny wise, pound foolish
PEN-ee WYZ POWND FOO-lish
ˈpɛni waɪz paʊnd ˈfuːlɪʃListen
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Syllable breakdown
pennywisepoundfoolish
Dictionary meaning
Careful about small amounts of money but wasteful with larger sums.
Examples
- Refusing to spend on staff training while losing key talent was penny wise and pound foolish.
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