If someone speaks up out of turn or forcefully inserts their unsolicited opinion, we say he gave his “two cents’ worth.”
The expression dates back to the late nineteenth century.
Back then, if you wanted to write an opinion to the editor of a newspaper or complain to a member of the legislature, the cost of mailing the letter was the price of a two-cent stamp.
The phrase “two cents’ worth” became an Americanism for “of little value.”
Related Posts
-
What do the expressions a fig for your opinion, not worth a fig, not to care a fig mean?
These sayings, which express contempt, may go back to ancient Greece, to a region where figs were so plentiful as to have almost no value. But more probably we got the worthlessness of…
-
How did the Expression “Red Herring” Originate, What does it Mean, and Where does it Come From?
A red herring is not a specific type of fish, but refers to any herring that's been smoked. The meat turns red and gives off a pungent odor, sending any but the truest…
-
What does the expression “the $64 question” mean and Where does it originate?
Back in 1940, in April to be exact, a new radio "quiz" program was started under the name "Take It or Leave It," with Bob Hawk as its master of ceremony. Hawk was…
-
What does the expression “to keep one’s eyes peeled” (or skinned) mean and Where does it originate?
The expression "to keep one's eyes peeled" means to be very observant or extremely alert; to keep a sharp lookout. No record of this American expression has been turned up earlier than 1833,…
-
What does the expression “hair and hide” (horns and tallow) mean and Where does it originate?
The expression "hair and hide" means: The whole works; every part; the entirety. The first part, hair and hide, has long been used in the same sense. In fact, five hundred years ago,…
-
What does the expression “the daughter of the horseleech” mean and Where does it originate?
"The horseleech hath two daughters, crying, Give, give." You will find that in Proverbs, xxx, 15. Of course, the horseleech is an aquatic sucking worm, of large size and great sucking facilities which…
