# What does ‘a penny for your thoughts’ mean?

To “a penny for your thoughts” means to asking someone what they are thinking. Brewer's records this as an old English proverb, familiar from at least the 16th century.

## What it means

- Brewer's records this as an old English proverb, familiar from at least the 16th century.

## Action steps

1. Warm, mildly old-fashioned way to invite confidence.
2. Example: You're quiet — a penny for your thoughts?

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

---
Canonical: https://bestidiomanswers.com/answers/a-penny-for-your-thoughts
Author: Best Idiom Answers — https://bestidiomanswers.com
Publisher: Best Idiom Answers
Published: 2026-07-18T04:16:36.255584+00:00
Modified: 2026-07-18T04:16:36.255584+00:00
Last verified: 2026-07-18
License: Citation License 1.0 — https://bestexpertanswers.com/license
© Adolicious LLC