pay too dearly for (one's) whistle

To spend a lot of money or effort on something that is ultimately disappointing or unfulfilling. The phrase refers to a story by Benjamin Franklin about a boy who wanted a whistle so much that he overpaid for it and soon lost interest in it. I worked night and day to get this position, but now I have very few friends—I guess I paid too dearly for my whistle.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Coley	['kəuli]
Cleo	KLEE-o	English
Titilayo	-	Western African, Yoruba
Ewout	AY-vowt, AY-wowt	Dutch
Bourgeois	['buəʒwa:]
Janet	['dʒænit]