# penny in the fusebox

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/penny-in-the-fusebox
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

An improvised repair made with no regard for safety.

## Examples

- He put a penny in the fusebox and nearly started a fire.
- You are taking a huge risk by putting a penny in the fusebox.
- Desperate to get the lights back on, she used a penny in the fusebox instead of calling an electrician.
- Using a bent paperclip to bridge the broken circuit was a dangerous penny in the fusebox that eventually fried the entire motherboard.
- The inspector shuddered at the sight: some previous tenant, seeking a quick fix, had jammed a penny in the fusebox, creating a hazard that could have burned the building down.

## Origin

Derived from the literal practice of inserting a copper coin into a fusebox to restore an electrical circuit when a proper replacement was unavailable. While the copper permitted the current to flow, it lacked the safety mechanism of a melting fuse, rendering the improvisation hazardous and widely disdained. The habit was considered a desperate makeshift, tolerable only under extreme pressures such as wartime necessity, though it remained a permanent risk to the building in question.

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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.