two pennyworth
(ˌtuːˈpɛnɪwəθ)
contr. twopenneth, -penn'orth, -pennorth (-ˈpɛnəθ). As much as is worth or costs twopence. Freq. fig., a small or contemptible amount. See pennyworth.
| 1851 H. Mayhew London Labour I. 75/2 Two penn'orth for a whet. 1865 ‘L. Carroll’ Alice's Adv. Wonderland x. 160 Who would not give all else for two p [rhyme with ‘soup’] ennyworth only of beautiful Soup? 1870 Punch 5 Nov. 194/1, I walked down the street with just two⁓penn'orth of swagger on. 1896 G. B. Shaw Let. 5 Dec. in Ellen Terry & Shaw (1931) 134 You thought two pennorth of flattery all that the occasion demanded. 1924 Wodehouse Leave it to Psmith vi. 90 Within reason—and if undetected—I see no objection to two-pennorth of crime. 1965 G. Melly Owning Up ix. 105 After it [sc. the band] broke up I used to go along every other Tuesday to ‘The Three Brewers’..and put in what Mick would call ‘my two penn'orth’. 1979 SLR Camera Mar. 16/1 No meter, only years of experience and twopenneth of glass. |