Put in One’s Two Cents Worth

Also:
Two cents
Put in one’s two cents
Add one’s two cents (worth)
Give one’s two cents (worth)
Put one’s oar in
Stick one’s oar in

Meaning of Idiom ‘Put in One’s Two Cents (Worth)’

To put in one’s two cents (worth) means to give one’s opinion even when it is not asked for. Two cents, when used alone, means simply opinion, especially an unwanted one.

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Usage

To put in one’s two cents has a connotation of humbleness, as one is putting in their opinion ‘for whatever it is worth.’ Two cents, here, implies that one’s opinion may not be worth very much, but one is offering it anyway. 1Spears, Richard A. McGraw-Hill’s American Idioms Dictionary. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2008.,2Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.

Examples Of Use

“If I could put in my two cents worth, I think we should stop offering free hummus with every meal. People are filling up on it and not ordering much food!”

“Nobody asked for your two cents!”

“Everybody will get to add their two cents, but in the end, the decision is mine.”

“I shouldn’t have stuck my oar in during your argument with Daniel, but I hate to see you two fighting.”

“I’m going to go to the town meeting and give my two cents about this ridiculous new tax.”

“You’re always trying to put your two cents in even though nobody asked for your opinion.”

Origin

This idiom has been used since the late 1800s. It comes from the much 15th-century British use of twopence or tuppence to mean ‘of little or no value; unimportant’ which gave rise to the idioms for two cents and like two cents. Two bits, which meant 25 cents, was also used in a similar way.3Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.

A similar idiom in English is for what it’s worth or for whatever it’s worth. This idiom is often used in regards to offering one’s opinions or for imparting information, suggesting that one’s opinions or one’s ifonrmation may not be important or valuable or that the person being addressed may not care, but one is going to say it anyway.

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