Idiom Reboot- Penny For Your Thoughts…Where Do The Good Idioms Go?

A Penny for Your Thoughts

was pretty pricey in 1522!

The Rise of Inflation,

Better Education,

-available to all- and,

the Disappearance of the Penny

nearly sank these wise words!

With our Blooming,

Non-Flowery Language and,

desire to, “Get straight to the point!”

four words (instead of five)

will now do nicely…

“What are your thoughts?”

 

Poem #9, Ingrid Exner Poetry Half Marathon 2021

32 thoughts on “Idiom Reboot- Penny For Your Thoughts…Where Do The Good Idioms Go?

    1. Thanks Caitlin! There are so many good idioms out there but I chose “a penny for your thoughts” because my dad always said this to the shy me growing up. Also, I love the history of this idiom…We have been saying it since the 1500’s…that blows my mind!!!!!

    1. Thanks Wendie! I read this wonderful book entitled, Lost Words (English publication- England). )Our language is going through so many changes- both good and bad and so many words are becoming “lost” from non-use or simply having the object removed from our lives…like the penny. I initially wan’t going to choose this idiom…but it chose me.

  1. Thanks Wendie! I read this wonderful book entitled, Lost Words (English publication- England). )Our language is going through so many changes- both good and bad and so many words are becoming “lost” from non-use or simply having the object removed from our lives…like the penny. I initially wan’t going to choose this idiom…but it chose me.

    1. Thanks Ofuma! Idioms are interesting because not only are they language specific but, also culturally specific…and now, in terms of Canada and the penny (and taking it out of circulation in our country), this idiom as currency…value we are placing on the person’s thought… has become obsolete. This idiom started circulation in 1522…I believe by Sir Thomas Moore…I love teaching idioms in my ESL classes th New Canadians…It is very interesting to have them translate their own idioms into English and visa versa…

    1. Thank you Mark! This is one of the three that I am thinking of submitting. I love idioms so much and , I love teaching and writing about them. I am so happy that people appreciated this poem.

    1. Thanks for enjoying this poem. It is sad that the younger generation is suing less idioms…but, I am glad that you told me this. I have used “regular curriculum” when I teach ESL classes BUT, I also like to create my own lessons and I do this with idioms. I find that the students have a great time sharing idioms from their own culture and language and learning idioms from other cultures and realizing that there is so much lost in translation. It makes for a fun filled class. Maybe this is the way teachers have to approach it in regular classrooms..

    1. Thanks Danielle!!! Initially, I didn’t mean to make it funny but, then the hours got the best of me and well, I miss the penny. They were hard to wrap but felt good in the pocket. Now everything is rounded up…not always in our favour.

  2. I love the way you constructed this poem Ingrid and the story telling free prose style engages the reader. It warmed me to want to continue reading until the end. The ending is great in that you draw us in by asking the question ‘what are your thoughts ?” That left me thinking well done 👍

    1. Thanks Sabinah! I miss the penny and this is sort of my ode to it in idiom form. Yes, I remember those days of penny candies…atleast here in Canada and not so long ago either.

  3. This is such a clever poem Ingrid and does really make the reader think! This is such a great line, ‘the disappearance of the penny almost sank
    these wise words.’ Awesome!

    1. Thank you Siobhan! I miss the penny and this was sort of my Ode…mind you, if I added a rhyming couplet, it coud have been a sonnet! Thank you, I might just submit this one.

  4. This is a very deep poem. The fact that it was pretty pricy in 1522 (made me Google the relevance of the year! hahaha) but these days, the value has sunk, and almost as if in parallel one wonders about the value of our thoughts these days! I hope you submit this one to the anthology, it is very poignant.

  5. There is nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said about this one… but a good one indeed. I can understand why you want to go for this one for the anthology… it’s refreshing.. the approach especially, and very well written.

    1. I miss the penny Dave and I miss the penny candy from my youth. And, I miss the potential history that will be lost now that the penny is removed from our Canadian currency…And, most importantly, I grieve for our lost words…In a decade, who will use and understand the beautful phrase, “A Penny For Your Thoughts?” This phrase always made me feel better when I was asked it as a child…” A loonie for your thoughts doesn’t have the same ring to it-lol! They are probably available on Ebay…but not the history or memories…

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