A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

Take care of the PENCE and the pounds will take care of themselves

The ‘Mr. Lowndes’ to whom quot. 1750 attributes this saying was William Lowndes
(1652–1724).

1750 CHESTERFIELD Letter 5 Feb. (1932) IV. 1500 Old Mr. Lowndes, the famous

Secretary of the Treasury, .. used to say.. Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take

care of themselves. 1912 G. B. SHAW Pygmalion II. 132 Take care of the pence and the

pounds will take care of themselves is as true of personal habits as of money. 1979 R.

CASSILIS Arrow of God IV. xvii. Little things, Master Mally. Look after the pennies,

Master Mally, and the pounds will look after themselves. 1999 ‘H. CRANE’ Miss

Seeton’s Finest Hour xi. 92 ‘Yes, it sounds on the melodramatic side,’ he said cheerfully,

‘but in wartime you can’t be too careful about the smallest detail. Think of it as along the

lines of taking care of the pennies, and the pounds will take care of themselves.’ money;

thrift

A PENNY saved is a penny earned

1640 G. HERBERT Outlandish Proverbs no. 506 A penny spar’d is twice got. a 1661

T. FULLER Worthies (Hunts.) 51 By the same proportion that a penny saved is a penny

gained, the preserver of books is a Mate for the Compiler of them. 1695 E.

RAVENSCROFT Canterbury Guests II. iv. This I did to prevent expences, for..a penny

sav’d, is a penny got. 1853 DICKENS Bleak House ix. I saved five pounds out of the

brickmaker’s affair. .. It’s a very good thing to save one, let me tell you: a penny saved, is

a penny got! 1923 WODEHOUSE Inimitable Jeeves xi. I can save money this way; and

believe me, laddie, nowadays.. a penny saved is a penny earned. 2001 Washington Post 6

Dec. C11 (Family Circus comic strip) ‘A penny saved is a penny earned, but what can I

buy with it?’ thrift

PENNY wise and pound foolish

1607 E. TOPSELL Four-footed Beasts 609 If by couetousnesse or negligence, one

withdraw from them their ordinary foode, he shall be penny wise, and pound foolish.

1712 J. ADDISON Spectator 7 Feb. I think a Woman who will give up herself to a Man in

Marriage, where there is the least room for such an Apprehension.. may very properly be

accused.. of being Penny wise and Pound foolish. 1864 MRS H. WOOD Trevlyn Hold II.

xxi. He never would insure his ricks. .. Miss Diana has often told him he deserved to have

his ricks take fire for being penny wise and pound foolish. 2001 Washington Post 17 June

H1 I didn’t stop because I was too focused on saving that 2 cents a gallon. I was, without

a doubt, being penny-wise and pound-foolish. meanness; stupidity