Why not “3 cents worth” or “4 cents worth”? What’s the origin of this phrase?
QUESTION
“Just my 2 cents worth” is a common phrase/sentence people write after commenting on something.
Why 2 cents and not 3 cents, 4 cents etc.? Do you professionals happen to know how this phrase/sentence came about?
ANSWER
“Two cents worth” is an idiom that refers to opinions that are usually not asked for and unwelcome.
We did a little snooping around and we found out that “two cents worth” is derived from the British idiom “two pennies worth” which means the same thing.
There are a few explanations as to why we say “two cents worth” as opposed to three or four cents but the one that we think is most reasonable is that it was derived from the idiom “a penny for your thoughts”.
Since “a penny for your thoughts” refers to asking for welcome opinions, it seems sensible that giving your “two pennies worth” would refer to something unwelcome or more than what is required!
But, still, no one really knows how “two cents worth” came about. And we’d finish off with “just our two cents worth” but we know that everything we say is welcome so we shan’t!
Source: Edited from “English As It is Broken” on STOMP. Visit www.stomp.com.sg for more.
