Hello!

I hear people sometimes say something like

"I haven’t got two pennies to rub together."

I'm quite confused as I simply can't understand why it's so important to rub 2 pennies together. I mean why do they need to do it? Is it some kind of superstition or a kind of omen?

Thank you!

Question

Hello!

I hear people sometimes say something like

"I haven’t got two pennies to rub together."

I'm quite confused as I simply can't understand why it's so important to rub 2 pennies together. I mean why do they need to do it? Is it some kind of superstition or a kind of omen?

Thank you!

Answer

Hi, that’s a great question!

You can find the answer here: https://www.idioms.online/two-pennies-to-rub-together-to-not-have/

I think you’ll find the origin of this idiom very interesting.

All the best 👍

Answer

Hi Jessica. I hope this helps:

not have two pennies to rub together

To be extremely poor; to have very little or no money to spend.

Example: During college, when I didn't have two pennies to rub together, I survived off of ramen noodles for months at a time.

Example 2:They used to be so well off, but after the economy crashed and their business closed, they don't have two pennies to rub together anymore.

Now make few sentences yourself to wrap it up for you.

Answer

I also think the hand gesture 🤌 of “ money” derives from here….

Answer

It’s an idiom to express that someone has very little money.

Answer

I would have thought it was a reference to the idea that if you had two pennies in your pocket they would rub together naturally.

لا تفوّت فرصة تعلّم لغة جديدة وأنت مرتاح في منزلك. تصفّح مجموعتنا المختارة من مدرّسي اللغات ذوي الخبرة وسجّل في درسك الأول الآن!