the penny drops
/ðə ˌpeni ˈdrɒps/INFORMAL · C1
Meaning
someone finally understands something after a while
Examples
- 1I stared at the maths problem for ages, and then suddenly the penny dropped.
- 2Sometimes the penny drops only when you try to explain the idea to someone else.
- 3Leo didn't understand why we were laughing, but after a minute the penny dropped and he laughed too.
- 4Some pupils need three or four examples of a new rule before the penny drops.
- 5My sister explained the plot twice, but the penny dropped only when we watched the film again.
Grammar
Used as a clause. Only drops changes: dropped, has dropped. Keep the penny singular.
More idioms about education
All 20 idioms and the topic quiz →a crash coursea short period of lessons that teaches a lot very quicklyrack your brainsto think very hard to remember or solve somethinggo over your headto be too difficult for you to understandout of your depthwithout enough knowledge or skill to deal with somethingteacher's petthe favourite pupil in a class, who gets special treatmentpick your brainsto ask someone who knows a lot for information or advice
English Idioms400 idioms in 20 topics — with reviews that keep them from fading
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