pennyworth

Everyday

1. (UK, old-fashioned) The amount of something you could buy for one penny: «a pennyworth of sweets». tree →
2. (idiom) «Put in your two pennyworth» (UK) or «two cents' worth» (US) means to give your opinion. tree →
3. A small amount. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons and older British stories, children bought a pennyworth of sweets, milk or bread. Pronounced PEN-ee-wurth or «PEN-uth». Today the idiom about giving your opinion is common: «Can I put in my two pennyworth?»

Examples

• She bought a pennyworth of toffees. tree →
• In 1900 a pennyworth of milk was a big jug. tree →
• Everyone wanted to add their two pennyworth to the argument. tree →
• The boy spent his last penny on a pennyworth of sherbet. tree →
• Not a pennyworth of difference! tree →
• Grandad remembers buying a pennyworth of chips. tree →

Note

Old-fashioned word; also written «penn'orth». In maths, «a pennyworth» means whatever 1p buys; if one sweet costs a halfpenny, a pennyworth is 2 sweets.