every last penny
3
3.1
- idiom
- Informal
:
cada centavo
- I'm going to take every last penny.
- spend every last penny
- squeeze every last penny
Examples
-
Every last penny of the proceeds is to be invested in the development and implementation of permanent housing solutions for local families, military veterans, and the chronically homeless.
Blog text (6) -
My wife and I are getting ready to buy a house... and, uh, we're trying to save every last penny.
-
My wife and I are buying a house this month, and we're saving every last penny.
Fiction book (2000) -
'Cause we spent it, every last penny, on cheese curls.
-
I demanded my money from the baker and he gave us every last penny he owes us.
-
Given Missouri's tilt to the right, every last penny of a similar windfall might be lost.
Blog text (9) -
He wants to redirect every last penny of money dedicated to bicycling and walking to bridge repair instead.
Blog text (16) -
My wife and I are saving every last penny to buy our first home.
-
I spent every last penny I had on my education, and it was worth every cent.
-
After working hard all summer, he finally had every last penny needed for his dream vacation.
Antonyms
How Complete
- Informal
3
3.1
604
1.0
48
1.0
∞
1.0
- Informal
8
7.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'every' (each) + 'last' (final/utmost) + 'penny' (unit of money) yields the sense 'every single penny' or the whole amount. This intensifying pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Every last penny comes from the image of counting coins one by one, with every coin and even the last small penny taken. That's why it means 'all the money someone has'.