How do you use "Spend a penny" in a sentence?

Excuse me, I need to spend a penny. Anyone need to spend a penny before we go? Just going to spend a penny.

Spend a penny

Q: What does "Spend a penny" mean?

To use the toilet. A quaint euphemism for going to the toilet. The phrase comes from the era when public toilets cost one penny to use. Despite decimalisation and inflation making the phrase literally obsolete, it survives as a genteel way to excuse oneself. It's deliberately old-fashioned and polite.

Slang Term British ★★★☆☆ Moderate Casual

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含义: To use the toilet.

上厕所（委婉说法）

Ir al baño (eufemismo)

トイレに行く（婉曲表現）

화장실에 가다 (완곡한 표현).

A quaint euphemism for going to the toilet. The phrase comes from the era when public toilets cost one penny to use. Despite decimalisation and inflation making the phrase literally obsolete, it survives as a genteel way to excuse oneself. It's deliberately old-fashioned and polite.

英式老式委婉语，表示去上厕所。源自过去使用公共厕所需要付一便士的时代。

Eufemismo británico anticuado para ir al baño. De la época en que los aseos públicos costaban un penique.

トイレに行くことを表す古風なイギリスの婉曲表現。公衆トイレの使用料が1ペニーだった時代に由来する。

화장실에 간다는 것을 점잖게 돌려 말하는 표현입니다. 공중화장실 이용에 1페니가 들던 시절에서 유래했습니다. 화폐 단위 변경과 물가 상승으로 문자 그대로의 의미는 사라졌지만, 자리를 비우는 것을 정중하게 표현하는 말로 살아남았습니다. 일부러 고풍스럽고 공손하게 쓰는 표현입니다.

例句

Excuse me, I need to spend a penny.
我需要上个厕所
Necesito ir al servicio
ちょっとお手洗いに
실례합니다, 잠깐 화장실 좀 다녀올게요.
Anyone need to spend a penny before we go?
不好意思，我得去一趟洗手间
Disculpe, tengo que ir al servicio
すみません、お手洗いに行かなくては
출발하기 전에 화장실 갈 사람?
Just going to spend a penny.
我去一下洗手间
Voy un momento al servicio
ちょっとお手洗いに行ってきます
잠깐 화장실 좀 갔다 올게.

发音

/spend ə ˈpeni/

用法指南

语境: toilet, polite euphemism, older generation

语气: quaint, polite

✓ 正确说法

Spend a penny
去一下洗手间
Ir al servicio
お手洗いに行く
화장실에 가고 싶다는 고풍스러운 표현
Just spending a penny
去一下洗手间
Voy un momento al servicio
ちょっとお手洗いに
화장실에 가고 싶다는 고풍스러운 표현
Need to spend a penny
需要去一下洗手间
Necesito ir al servicio
お手洗いに行きたい
화장실에 가고 싶다는 고풍스러운 표현

✗ 错误说法

May sound dated to younger people
现在已经很老式了
Muy anticuado hoy en día
現在ではとても古風
매우 구식으로 들림

常见错误

The literal penny toilet is mostly gone—the phrase is now just a euphemism
Sounds old-fashioned but remains understood

起源与历史

Public toilets in Britain historically charged a penny for use—you literally spent a penny to use the facilities. The first such pay toilets appeared at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Though the cost rose and eventually disappeared in many places, the phrase persisted as a euphemism.

词源: From the cost of using public toilets (one penny)

最早记录: Victorian era (1851 onwards)

文化背景

Era: Victorian to present

Generation: All ages, especially older

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Victorian era; British euphemisms

Regional notes: British euphemism, not used in American English.

故事与趣闻

The original penny-operated toilet locks were invented by George Jennings for the Great Exhibition of 1851. Over 827,000 people 'spent a penny' during the exhibition. The phrase became so ingrained that it outlasted the penny itself as toilet-access currency.

变体

Spend a pennySpending a penny