Why is it said ‘a person of two pennies’ and ‘I will not give even a penny’? Know the surprising history of this famous idiom

New Delhi: We often hear in everyday conversation that "I won’t give him a penny" Or "He doesn’t even have a penny." This idiom is still spoken widely today, but very few people know how it started and what is its real meaning.

What was a cowry?

In ancient times, when coins were not prevalent everywhere, cowries were used as currency in many areas. Cowrie was a small conch shell found in the sea, which was used for transactions.

At that time it had a fixed price and people also made small purchases with it. If a cowry was broken or there was a crack in it, it was called ‘broken cowry’. Such coins were considered to have almost no value in the market.

ancient currency system

The currency system of that period was completely different from today. A large amount was created by adding small units. Starting from Kaudi, the calculations started with Damri, Dhela, Pai, Paisa, Ana and then up to Rupee. Therefore cowries were counted among the smallest and least valuable units.

How did this famous phrase become?

Because a penny was considered to have the lowest value, when a person had ‘not even a penny’, it meant that he had no money at all. There itself "Don’t give even a penny" It means not to give even the smallest or smallest thing you have to anyone.

similarly "two-penny man" Idioms like these are also related to the currency system of that period. These are used to refer to someone who is not considered worthy of respect or importance.

These idioms are still alive today

Even though cowries are not used as currency today, the idioms related to them are still an important part of our language. This is the reason why this centuries-old heritage is still alive in the speech of people and makes the language interesting.