My Two Cents
Meaning
My two cents is an idiomatic expression used to preface an opinion in a humble and tentative manner.
It essentially states that “I’ll tell you my opinion, even though it is hardly worth two cents”.
Origin
The exact origin of the phrase is unknown, although there are several legends revolving around its conception.
The most popular story behind the roots of “my two cents” go back to Nottingham, England in the late 1800’s, during the height of English boxing.
It was Jack Jetlamey, a notorious gambler, that would always wager something, even if it meant his only two cents.
A popular alternative associates “my two cents” with the ante of poker games, while yet another theory speculates that it actually originates from the expression “penny for your thoughts”.
Spread and Usage
“My two cents” would be present to some degree both in British and US English, however it truly became popular in the 1930’s, growing into a widely known idiomatic phrase.
The first entry on the matter was uploaded to Urban Dictionary in 2004.
External References
- Talkenglish.com – My Two Cents
- Howtocommunications – Stop Saying “That’s My Two Cents”
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