a penny for your thoughts

Question

A young man and woman are out on a dateW: You seem  a little preoccupied. What are you thinking about?M: Oh, it's nothing importnat. Really.W: Oh, really.C'mon. You can tell me. A penny for your thoughts.What does " A penny for your thoughts" mean? and why is it only one penny?Thanks,Lynn

LanguageLover · Accepted Answer

I got this from a website about a couple's wedding, I don't know why this definition was put there, but anyway, here is the address and text: http://www.thevinallcountdown.co.uk/head_over_heels.php

A Penny Thought

Why is it that people are prepared to give you a 'penny for your thoughts', whereas in this day and age, a penny won't even buy you a penny chew, which, a recent survey has shown, now cost an average of 3.6 pence.

The phrase originates in the first days of the postal service when a penny for your thought would be enough to carry that thought, appropriately scribed onto lightweight parchment, to a recipient.

Given the inflation since the phrase first came about in 1840, we should now be asking for 30p!

BarbaraPA · Answer

Thanks for the origin - I'd never heard it before. The phrase just means "I'd like to know what you're thinking."

But here's something a little amusing - if you give your opinion about something, it's your "two cents' worth." I wonder why it's worth twice as much when you give it verus being asked? And you can say it outloud, although it's very informal. Say someone is wondering which dress to buy - you'd say "Well, if you want my two cents, go with the blue one"

Anonymous · Answer

0 This is not the origin of this phrase. John Heywood was the firstperson to be credited with publishing this saying in 1546.0-

a penny for your thoughts

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions