penny for your thoughts
Used to inquire into the thoughts and feelings of another, especially when the person appears pensive or conflicted.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You look quiet today, a penny for your thoughts?”
“She sat staring out the window for a long time, so I asked, a penny for your thoughts?”
“Noticing his distant expression as he gazed into the fire, she gently touched his arm and offered a penny for your thoughts.”
first recorded 16th c.
First recorded in Thomas More's Four Last Things (c. 1522).
- 01
a pound to a penny
Very likely; almost certainly.
- 02
bad penny
A person or thing which is unpleasant, disreputable, or otherwise unwanted, especially one which repeatedly appears at inopportune times.
- 03
collect one's thoughts
To become mentally composed, especially after being distressed, surprised, or disoriented; to become calm or organized in one's emotional state or thinking, as in preparation for a conversation, speech, decision, etc.
- 04
food for thought
Information or knowledge that is worthy of contemplation.
- 05
have second thoughts
To change one's opinion, or be uneasy about a previous decision.
- 06
hold that thought
To pause in a conversation for an interruption.
- 07
not leave one's thoughts
To remain in one's mind for a long duration.
- 08
park that thought
Alternative form of hold that thought.
Last updated August 10, 2026