penny for your thoughts
1
used as a question when one wants to know what another person has in mind at the moment
The idiom "a penny for your thoughts" has its origins in medieval England and was first recorded in the 16th century. At that time, a "penny" was a small and common unit of currency. The phrase was used as a polite way to ask someone what they were thinking or to inquire about their thoughts or feelings. It is used to reflect a simple offer to pay a small sum for the privilege of knowing another person's thoughts, often used as a conversational ice-breaker.
- You seem lost in thought; care to share?A penny for your thoughts.
- While they were sitting in silence, he suddenly said, 'A penny for your thoughts?'
- She looked pensive, and he asked, 'What's on your mind?A penny for your thoughts.
- She had a distant look in her eyes, and he asked, 'A penny for them, my dear?
- As they watched the waves crash on the shore, he turned to her and said, 'A penny for them, what's on your mind?