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Apr 03, 2011 3:14 pm
I am curious about the origin of the phrase "Hang for a penny. Hang for a pound."
I can't find any good ideas on the internet. Any ideas are welcome. Thanks!
2 Replies
Apr 03, 2011 4:22 pm
If by origin you're asking for an explanation, it's a way of saying that the punishment is the same for a small theft as for a large one, so you might as well steal big.
Apr 03, 2011 4:57 pm
"In for a penny, in for a pound" is the only version I've heard, and a very quick look at Google results doesn't turn up anything for the "hang" version, although it's a reasonable variant. Possibly it's a merger with "might as well be hanged for a sheep as a for lamb."
Peter