a bad penny always turns up
/ə bæd pɛni ɔɫweɪz tɝnz ʌp/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.97 in modern English
38
Scrabble Score
22
Letters
5
Syllables
13
Unique Chars
Meaning
proverb
A person or thing which is unpleasant, dishonorable, or unwanted tends to appear (or reappear), especially at inopportune times.
proverb
An action or task that is carried out improperly eventually causes problems.
Example Sentences
- "It has been wisely said: “A bad penny always turns up again.” . . . Merwin K. Hart turns up again and again. And the Money-Changers of the Republican Party have knowingly sought to profit from Hart's lobby activities."
- "Elsa Schneider: I never expected to see you again. Indiana Jones: I'm like a bad penny. I always turn up."
- "Being superstitious was common among a lot of the military. . . . Aircraft were given names such as The Bad Penny (as in a bad penny always turns up)."
- "I had managed to avoid Julie for almost four years, but, as my grandmother used to say, the bad penny always turns up, and Julie Evanson was one very bad penny."