# like cheese at fourpence

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/like-cheese-at-fourpence
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Of a person: waiting idly or timewasting.

## Examples

- Stop standing there like cheese at fourpence and help me.
- He sits there like cheese at fourpence while I do all the heavy lifting.
- Don't just wait by the door like cheese at fourpence; come inside and sit.
- The manager grew annoyed when he found his staff standing around like cheese at fourpence instead of working.
- You cannot just sit there like cheese at fourpence while your roommates are busy cleaning the entire kitchen after the party.
- The new intern stood by the printer like cheese at fourpence because she did not know how to start her first task.
- While the rest of the team labored under the deadline, he remained in the corner like cheese at fourpence, offering no assistance.

## Origin

Derived from the mill towns of Lancashire, the expression draws upon a period when fourpence was considered a prohibitively high price for cheese. At such a cost, the product would remain unsold and untouched on the counter, leading to the phrase's association with objects or persons that are avoided or ignored.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.