The penny has dropped
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="the">the</span> <span word="penny">penny</span>” <span word="and">and</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: <span word="The">The</span> <span word="penny">penny</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="dropped">dropped</span> – <span word="that">that</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="invest">invest</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stock">stock</span> <span word="market">market</span>. <span word="What">What</span> <span word="penny">penny</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Originally">Originally</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="penny">penny</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="slot">slot</span> <span word="machine">machine</span> – <span word="here">here</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="penny">penny</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="spoken">spoken</span> <span word="figuratively">figuratively</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="statement">statement</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="this">this</span>: <span word="Now">Now</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="period">period</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="uncertainty">uncertainty</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="over">over</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="finally">finally</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="something">something</span> – <span word="and">and</span> <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span> <span word="decide">decide</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="buy">buy</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="stocks">stocks</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="proverbial">proverbial</span> <span word="penny">penny</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="refer">refer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="piece">piece</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="welcoming">welcoming</span> <span word="news">news</span> <span word="stock">stock</span> <span word="market">market</span> <span word="players">players</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="for">for</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="encouraging">encouraging</span> <span word="policy">policy</span> <span word="announced">announced</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="stimulate">stimulate</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="market">market</span>. <span word="Prior">Prior</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="announcement">announcement</span>, <span word="people">people</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bit">bit</span> <span word="anxious">anxious</span>, <span word="fingering">fingering</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="cash">cash</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pocket">pocket</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="speak">speak</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="knowing">knowing</span> <span word="whether">whether</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="idea">idea</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="invest">invest</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="market">market</span>.</p><p>“<span word="The">The</span> <span word="penny">penny</span> <span word="drops">drops</span>”, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="question">question</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="suspect">suspect</span>, <span word="an">an</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span>, <span word="judging">judging</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="simplicity">simplicity</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> <span word="originates">originates</span>, <span word="understandably">understandably</span>, <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="slot">slot</span> <span word="machine">machine</span>. <span word="Each">Each</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="insert">insert</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="piece">piece</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="coin">coin</span>, <span word="be">be</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="penny">penny</span>, <span word="dime">dime</span>, <span word="nickel">nickel</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="quarter">quarter</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="wait">wait</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="metal">metal</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="drop">drop</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="register">register</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="machine">machine</span>. <span word="Then">Then</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="hear">hear</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="clicking">clicking</span> <span word="sound">sound</span> – <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sound">sound</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="penny">penny</span> <span word="dropping">dropping</span> – <span word="and">and</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="proceed">proceed</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="transaction">transaction</span>.</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="machine">machine</span> <span word="somehow">somehow</span> <span word="gets">gets</span> <span word="stuck">stuck</span>, <span word="however">however</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="hear">hear</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="clicking">clicking</span> <span word="sound">sound</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="penny">penny</span> <span word="hasn">hasn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="dropped">dropped</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="machine">machine</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="working">working</span>. <span word="You">You</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="gently">gently</span> <span word="tap">tap</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="machine">machine</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="thump">thump</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="until">until</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="penny">penny</span> <span word="drops">drops</span>.</p>
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