See the penny drops in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for the penny drops meaning in English (5.0kB)
{
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "phrase"
},
"expansion": "the penny drops",
"name": "head"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "phrase",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "British English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
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"source": "w"
},
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"name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"parents": [
"Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"Entry maintenance"
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"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English sentences",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"parents": [
"Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "The penny dropped as Fred realised he had been conned.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1979, Dervla Murphy, Wheels Within Wheels, page 56",
"text": "Suddenly various pennies began to drop; now I understood obscure remarks that had been made in my presence by the Ryans, or by the nuns at school, or by Old Brigid or Tommy's foster-mother.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2011 August 27 (broadcast date), Doctor Who, series 6, episode 8, Let's Kill Hitler",
"text": "AMY: In the time I've known you, when have you shown the slightest interest in a girl?\nMELS: Penny in the air!\nAMY: I've known you for, what, 10 years? I've seen you practically every day. Name one girl you've paid the slightest bit of attention to? (RORY is flustered, runs from the room.)\nAMY: Oh my God! Rory! (AMY runs after RORY.)\nMELS: And the penny drops!"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Understanding is reached; one comprehends."
],
"id": "en-the_penny_drops-en-phrase-yhwZCj91",
"links": [
[
"Understand",
"understand"
],
[
"comprehend",
"comprehend"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(UK, informal) Understanding is reached; one comprehends."
],
"tags": [
"UK",
"informal"
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "der faldt tiøren"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "het kwartje is gevallen"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"tags": [
"Dutch",
"Flemish"
],
"word": "zijn frank is gevallen"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "ça a fait tilt"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "le franc est tombé"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "la pièce est tombée"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "der Groschen ist gefallen"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"note": "נפל לו האסימון (nafál lo ha'asimón, literally “the token has dropped for him”)",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"note": "ירד לו האסימון (yarád lo ha'asimón, literally “the token has descended for him”)",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "leesik a tantusz"
},
{
"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "thit an phingin"
},
{
"alt": "dō hezāresh (jā) oftād",
"code": "fa",
"english": "his two thousand dinar",
"lang": "Persian",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "دو هزازش جا افتاد meaning \"his(/her) two thousand dropped\""
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "dotarło"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "caiu a ficha"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "îi pica fisa"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"note": "дошло́ (došló, literally “[It] reached [him/her]”)",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "cayó el veinte"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "cayó la ficha"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "cayó en la cuenta"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "polletten faller ner"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "polletten trillar ner"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "jeton düştü"
},
{
"code": "cy",
"lang": "Welsh",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "mae'r geiniog wedi syrthio"
}
]
}
],
"word": "the penny drops"
}
{
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "phrase"
},
"expansion": "the penny drops",
"name": "head"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "phrase",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"British English",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"English informal terms",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English phrases",
"English sentences",
"English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "The penny dropped as Fred realised he had been conned.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1979, Dervla Murphy, Wheels Within Wheels, page 56",
"text": "Suddenly various pennies began to drop; now I understood obscure remarks that had been made in my presence by the Ryans, or by the nuns at school, or by Old Brigid or Tommy's foster-mother.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2011 August 27 (broadcast date), Doctor Who, series 6, episode 8, Let's Kill Hitler",
"text": "AMY: In the time I've known you, when have you shown the slightest interest in a girl?\nMELS: Penny in the air!\nAMY: I've known you for, what, 10 years? I've seen you practically every day. Name one girl you've paid the slightest bit of attention to? (RORY is flustered, runs from the room.)\nAMY: Oh my God! Rory! (AMY runs after RORY.)\nMELS: And the penny drops!"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Understanding is reached; one comprehends."
],
"links": [
[
"Understand",
"understand"
],
[
"comprehend",
"comprehend"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(UK, informal) Understanding is reached; one comprehends."
],
"tags": [
"UK",
"informal"
]
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "der faldt tiøren"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "het kwartje is gevallen"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"tags": [
"Dutch",
"Flemish"
],
"word": "zijn frank is gevallen"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "ça a fait tilt"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "le franc est tombé"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "la pièce est tombée"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "der Groschen ist gefallen"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"note": "נפל לו האסימון (nafál lo ha'asimón, literally “the token has dropped for him”)",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"note": "ירד לו האסימון (yarád lo ha'asimón, literally “the token has descended for him”)",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "leesik a tantusz"
},
{
"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "thit an phingin"
},
{
"alt": "dō hezāresh (jā) oftād",
"code": "fa",
"english": "his two thousand dinar",
"lang": "Persian",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "دو هزازش جا افتاد meaning \"his(/her) two thousand dropped\""
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "dotarło"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "caiu a ficha"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "îi pica fisa"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"note": "дошло́ (došló, literally “[It] reached [him/her]”)",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "cayó el veinte"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "cayó la ficha"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "cayó en la cuenta"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "polletten faller ner"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "polletten trillar ner"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "jeton düştü"
},
{
"code": "cy",
"lang": "Welsh",
"sense": "understanding is reached, one comprehends",
"word": "mae'r geiniog wedi syrthio"
}
],
"word": "the penny drops"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.