in for a penny, in for a pound

English

Etymology

Originally with reference to the fact that if one owed a penny, one might as well owe a pound (pound sterling, UK currency) as the penalties for non-payment were virtually identical in severity.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪn fəɹə ˈpɛ.ni ɪn fəɹə paʊnd/
(US) IPA^(key): /ɪn fɔɹ ə ˈpɛ.ni ɪn fɔɹ ə paʊnd/
Audio (Australian): (file)

Proverb

in for a penny, in for a pound

(chiefly UK) Expressing that, having begun something (that involves significant risk or effort), one intends to see it to completion rather than stopping short.
Having tripped the bank's alarms, he simply uttered: "in for a penny, in for a pound", and continued on.
- 1695, Edward Ravenscroft, The Canterbury Guests, or, a Bargain Broken a Comedy: Acted at the Theatre-Royal, London: Daniel Brown, John Walthoe, →OCLC, act V, scene i, page 50:
  Well than, O'er shooes, o'er boots. And In for a Penny, in for a Pound. Whee—ho— Toby.
- 1838 March – 1839 October, Charles Dickens, “How Ralph Nickleby’s Auxiliary went about his work, and how he prospered with it”, in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 565:
  “Well, this a pretty go, is this here!—an uncommon pretty go! Here have I been a matter of how many weeks—hard upon six—a-follering up this here blessed old dowager, petty lareenerer […] and Dotheboys Hall a-running itself regularly to seed the while! That's the worst of ever being in with a ow-dacious chap like that old Nickleby; you never know when he's done with you, and if you're in for a penny, you're in for a pound.”
- 1882, November 25 (first performance), W[illiam] S[chwenck] Gilbert; Arthur Sullivan, music, […] Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri, London: Chappell & Co., published [1885?], act II, page 36:
  Nothing venture, nothing win - / Blood is thick, but water's thin - / In for a penny, in for a pound - / It's love that makes the world go round!
- 1964, J. F. Holleman, Experiment in Swaziland: report of the Swaziland sample survey, 1960, page 9:
  Under the circumstances it seemed to be a case of ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’. If the Institute’s team were still prepared to accept the challenge, the Administration was willing to do likewise…
- 1964, Sanki Ichikawa, The Kenkyusha Dictionary of Current English Idioms, page 509:
  …in for a penny, in for a pound: if one undertakes something, it must be carried through at whatever cost.
- 2001, B. J. James, A Lady for Lincoln Cade, page 159:
  Turning before the mirror, she studied the gown she’d spent much of her savings on in Belle Terre. “Okay, but not great. In for a penny, in for a pound. Soon I have to get a job.”
- 2002, Kathryn Wall, In for a Penny: A Bay Tanner Mystery, page 123:
  I rummaged in my bag for Miss Addie’s keys, turned off the car, and marched purposefully toward the building.
  “‘In for a penny, in for a pound’”, I mumbled under my breath as I pushed open the door and headed for the elevator.
- 2004, M. Mihkel Mathiesen, Global Warming in a Politically Correct Climate: How Truth Became Controversial, page 133:
  It appears to be a situation where the greenhouse proponents are in for a penny, in for a pound. As long as the myth needs to be kept alive, this is the inescapable conclusion.

Synonyms

Antonyms

if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging
It's never the wrong time to make the right decision
don't throw good money after bad

Translations

Expressing recognition that one must, having started something, see it through to its end, rather than stopping short thereof

Catalan: perdut per perdut, la manta al coll, perdut per perdut, m'agafo allà on puc
Chinese: 一不做，二不休 (zh) (yī bù zuò, èr bù xiū)
Czech: když už, tak už
Dutch: wie a zegt, moet ook b zeggen (literally “who says a, must say b, too”)
Esperanto: kiu sin enjungis, devas tiri (literally “whoever harnessed oneself must pull”)
Finnish: asiat pitää viedä loppuun asti; joka leikkiin ryhtyy, se leikin kestäköön
French: quand le vin est tiré, il faut le boire (fr) (literally “when the wine is drawn, one has to drink it”), le premier pas engage au second, qui dit A, doit dire B (literally “who says a, must say b”), foutu pour foutu (fr), perdu pour perdu (fr)
German: wer A sagt, muss auch B sagen (de) (literally “who says a, must say b, too”); wenn schon, denn schon (de) (literally “if [we do it] at all, then [let us] actually [do it right]”)
Hindi: कोशिश से बाज न आना (kośiś se bāj na ānā, literally “never stop at trying”)
Hungarian: aki á-t mond, mondjon b-t is (hu)
Irish: ó loisc mé an choinneal loiscfidh mé an t-orlach
Italian: abbiamo fatto 30, facciamo 31 (literally “we made 30 [already], let's make 31”)
Japanese: 毒を食らわば皿まで (ja) (どくをくらわばさらまで, doku wo kurawaba sara made, literally “if you have eaten the poison, [lick] even the plate”)
Macedonian: а́ко е бал, не́ка би́де ма́скенбал (áko e bal, néka bíde máskenbal)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: har man sagt A, må man også si B (literally “who says A must say B, too”)
Polish: jak się powiedziało A, to trzeba powiedzieć B
Portuguese: perdido por cem, perdido por mil (literally “lost by a hundred, lost by a thousand”), perdido por um, perdido por mil (literally “lost by one, lost by a thousand”)
Russian: взя́лся за гуж — не говори́, что не дюж (vzjálsja za guž — ne govorí, što ne djuž)
Spanish: de perdidos al río (literally “from lost to the river”)
Swedish: har man tagit fan i båten får man ro honom i land, har man sagt A får man säga B
Vietnamese: đâm lao thì phải theo lao