Meaning
What does Penny for Your Thoughts mean?
Penny for your thoughts refers to a popular idiomatic expression in the English language, used to involve someone in a conversation and ask about their thoughts.
A similar expression is My Two Cents.
Origin
What's the origin of Penny for Your Thoughts?
While the history of “Penny for your thoughts” goes back hundreds of years, thus rendering its origin hard to identify, the first written citation of the phrase can be linked to The Four Last Things, written by Sir Thomas More in 1535.
It soon appeared in John Heywood’s collection of proverbs in 1546.
Spread & Usage
How did Penny for Your Thoughts spread?
Since the 16th century, “Penny for your thoughts” became a widely recognized and understood expression, used across the subsequent centuries, peaking in the late 1700’s.
“Penny for your thoughts” still remains a well-known expression, although it is not nearly as widespread, as it was a few centuries ago.
External resources
- English-grammar-lessons.com – Penny for Your Thoughts