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Two bit is an idiom and I want to know what it means.

2007-10-11 13:30:44 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference Words & Wordplay

11 answers

"Two bits" comes from colonial times in America. A Spanish peso was known as a "bit" and two bits made a quarter-dollar. So it is used as an adjective for something cheap, e.g. a two-bit horse is one which is not worth much. Look up "pieces of eight" for more information about colonial money.

2007-10-11 13:34:23 · answer #1 · answered by Howard H 7 · 2 0

Howard H was very close.

It's not from the peso, but a Spanish coin called a 'piece of eight.' These coins could be broken into eight pieces, or 'bits,' so 'two bits' wasn't worth much.

2007-10-11 20:40:27 · answer #2 · answered by Lonnie P 7 · 2 0

Two bits is actually twenty-five cents. Two bits, four bits, six bits a dollar--have you never heard this phrase?

2007-10-11 20:39:03 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

I've heard the saying when wanting to get your opinion in or your side of the story, "I wanna get my two bits or (two cents) in".

2007-10-12 01:13:28 · answer #4 · answered by CharJ, 6 · 0 1

In the old west, "two bits" was a Quarter. Guess it still is.

2007-10-11 20:38:18 · answer #5 · answered by Ava 5 · 0 1

25 cents

2007-10-11 20:35:39 · answer #6 · answered by lint 6 · 1 1

Poor Quality, Cheap & nasty, Almost worthless.

2007-10-11 20:45:07 · answer #7 · answered by maharg 3 · 0 0

One bit is $0.25, so two bits would be $0.50. You may have heard the, "Shave and a haircut...two bits" chant that is frequently knocked on wood. (da-da-da-Da-da.... da-da).

2007-10-11 20:41:21 · answer #8 · answered by infopsychrn 3 · 0 0

very cheap. "two bits" is an old expression for two coins of money.

2007-10-11 20:34:13 · answer #9 · answered by brian777999 6 · 2 1

here

http://www.gold-eagle.com/gold_digest_05/stott070705.html

2007-10-11 20:35:21 · answer #10 · answered by The old man 6 · 0 1

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