![]() Penny for your Thoughts is also the title of a song written in the late 1800’s by Stephen Foster, known as the ‘Father of American Music. There are also other English expressions which use the word penny to refer to thoughts. The simplest meaning for a penny for your thoughts is: What’s on your mind or Tell me what you are thinking, especially when someone looks pensive, or they haven’t said very much and have been quiet for a while about a specific topic. It is not a proverb, however, by any strict criteria. A penny for your thoughts Where did it originate: The United Kingdom - 16th century. Example: You’ve been gazing out the window with a wistful look for ages. ![]() ![]() Similar expressions to ‘penny for your thoughts’ have existed such as pennyworth of wit ( penn’orth of wit). ‘A penny for your thoughts’ is a common idiomatic expression that has existed since the 1500’s, appearing in a collection of proverbs by John Heywood, from 1546. The meaning of 'a penny for your thoughts' ' A penny for your thoughts ' Meaning: A way of asking what someone is thinking. The origin of this phrase is unknown but it is believed to have originated. You look like you have something on your mind. A penny for your thoughts You seem to be deep in thought. At one time, the word was commonly used as a synonym for ‘coin.’ This gave rise to many expressions, such as “a pretty penny,” which would refer to a great sum of money, as opposed to an attractive penny. It is an expression used to ask someone what they are thinking about. Used to ask what someone is thinking about.2. Although the British pound was not divided into 100 equal parts like our American dollar, its smallest unit was called a penny, which is where we got our word for 1/100th of a dollar. (a) penny for your thoughts Significado, definición, qué es (a) penny for your thoughts: 1. Idiom: A Penny for your thoughts Meaning and Example SentencesMeaning:1. This was a monetary unit of currency having two denominations, the greater at one-fifth of a shilling, and the less, as one-twelfth of a shilling. The word penny itself dates back many hundreds of years, coming from the Anglo-Saxon word pening or penig. This gentle prodding knocks Sam out of his reverie and he says with an apologetic smile “Oh, I’m just distracted by this big deadline at work. He’s not quite being his jovial self, Sara doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it, so she says, “A penny for your thoughts.” It is a variation of the phrase 'a penny for your thoughts.' You've been. Sara is telling Sam about what happened with her sister, but Sam seems lost in his own thoughts, hardly paying attention. What does a penny for them expression mean Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. Examples Of UseĪ couple, Sam and Sara, are out for dinner in their favorite restaurant. When you say ‘a penny for your thoughts,’ you probably don’t have these rare 1909 Lincoln wheat pennies in mind, which can be worth hundreds of dollars. It means simply “what are you thinking,” and we are not actually offering any monetary compensation in exchange for another person’s thoughts.
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