for two cents

Idioms and Phrases

For nothing; for a petty sum. For example, For two cents I'd quit the club entirely . Similarly, like two cents , means “of little or no value or importance, worthless,” as in She made me feel like two cents . The use of two cents in this sense is thought to be derived from a similar British use of twopence or tuppence , which dates from about 1600. The American coin was substituted in the 1800s, along with two bits , slang for 25 cents and also meaning “a petty sum.” Similarly, put in one's two cents or two cents' worth , meaning “to express one's unsolicited opinion for whatever it is worth,” dates from the late 1800s.