spoil the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar (English, verb)
expansion: spoil the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar (third-person singular simple present spoils the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar, present participle spoiling the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar, simple past and past participle spoiled the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar or spoilt the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar)
Senses:
glosses: To have something important fail for want of a small amount of money or effort.
Forms:
form: spoils the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: spoiling the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar
tags: participle
present
form: spoiled the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar
tags: participle
past
form: spoiled the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar
tags: past
form: spoilt the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar
tags: participle
past
form: spoilt the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar
tags: past