spend a penny

spend a penny
   to urinate
   Normally referring to urination by either sex, although only women were required, for the purpose of urination, to produce that particular coin needed to operate the lock of a British public lavatory turnstile or cubicle.

How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. . 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • spend a penny — ► spend a penny Brit. informal, euphemistic urinate. Main Entry: ↑spend …   English terms dictionary

  • spend a penny — (UK) This is a euphemistic idiom meaning to go to the toilet …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • spend a penny — verb eliminate urine Again, the cat had made on the expensive rug • Syn: ↑make, ↑urinate, ↑piddle, ↑puddle, ↑micturate, ↑piss, ↑pee, ↑pee pee, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • spend a penny — British & Australian, informal if you say you are going to spend a penny, you mean you are going to go to the toilet. Excuse me, I must go and spend a penny …   New idioms dictionary

  • Spend a penny — To spend a penny is to go to the bathroom. It is a very old fashioned expression that still exists today. It comes from the fact that in ladies loos you used to operate the door by inserting an old penny …   The American's guide to speaking British

  • spend a penny Brit. — spend a penny Brit. euphemistic urinate. [with ref. to coin operated locks of public toilets.] → spend …   English new terms dictionary

  • spend a penny — Meaning Go to the toilet. Origin In England public toilets used to have coin (penny) operated locks. Hence the graffiti Here I sit broken hearted, Paid a penny and only farted …   Meaning and origin of phrases

  • spend a penny — verb To use the toilet …   Wiktionary

  • spend a penny — (UK)    This is a euphemistic idiom meaning to go to the toilet.   (Dorking School Dictionary) …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • spend a penny — Vrb phrs. To urinate, to go to the lavatory. A euphemism derived from a fee charged in public toilets, albeit usually only in the women s; the saying is based on a pre inflatatory figure. Informal …   English slang and colloquialisms

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