look as if one has lost a shilling and found sixpence
To look annoyed or displeased.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You look as if you have lost a shilling and found sixpence.”
“She looks as if she has lost a shilling and found sixpence today.”
“Do not look as if you have lost a shilling and found sixpence.”
“When the boss announced the new weekend hours, everyone looked as if they had lost a shilling and found sixpence.”
“He looked as if he had lost a shilling and found sixpence when the waiter brought him the wrong meal after a long wait.”
“My neighbor looks as if he has lost a shilling and found sixpence because the rain ruined his plans for a backyard barbecue.”
“Upon hearing that the project deadline was moved forward by a week, the team looked as if they had lost a shilling and found sixpence, clearly displeased by the news.”
From the arithmetic of pre-decimal coinage, where a shilling was valued at twelve pence. The expression describes the arrival at a net loss of sixpence, an outcome that makes the subsequent discovery of a smaller coin an insufficient consolation for the disappearance of the larger one.
- 01
as best one can
In the best possible way, given one's circumstances and abilities.
- 02
as far as one knows
To the best of one's knowledge, as far as someone knows or possible information to be gathered about the topic, subject, aspect, or situation.
- 03
back to square one
Located back at the start, as after a dead end or failure.
- 04
beat as one
To share the same feelings.
- 05
become one flesh
To join together in marriage; to develop a unifying bond as a result of marrying.
- 06
bite off more than one can chew
To try to do too much; to take on or attempt more than one is capable of doing.
- 07
bite the big one
To perform poorly; to fail.
- 08
bite the hand that feeds one
To cause harm to a benefactor (especially one that one is dependent on, thus with the idea that this behaviour is self-damaging).
Last updated August 10, 2026