What does tuppence mean?
Tuppence is a chiefly British noun for a former coin worth two pence. Before British decimalisation, the coin was a small but ordinary piece of money, and the word also came to stand for the value of two pence. In idioms, tuppence usually means an insignificant amount: “not give a tuppence” suggests refusing to give anything, while “not care a tuppence” means not caring in the slightest. Today the coin itself is obsolete, but the word remains recognizable through traditional expressions and references to the old British monetary system. Its informal, slightly nostalgic character distinguishes it from the more formal or conventional “twopence” and “two pence.” Tuppence is therefore useful not only as the name of a historical denomination but also as a vivid example of how a small coin can survive in everyday speech long after the coin has disappeared.
nounA former British coin worth two pence, also used figuratively to mean a very small amount of money.
- A former British coin worth two pence.
- A very small amount of money, especially in phrases expressing contempt or indifference.
"He wouldn't give a tuppence for the whole collection."
"The old coin was worth a tuppence, though it was worth much less than a modern two-pence piece."
"She did not care a tuppence what other people thought of her."
The plural is usually unchanged in the singular sense; tuppences is also used, especially when referring to multiple coins.
"The children collected several tuppences in their old coin albums."
A tuppence was once a real coin, and it survives in the idiom “not give a tuppence,” meaning not give even the smallest amount.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tuppence come from?
Tuppence is an English shortened and altered form of twopence, a transparent compound of two and pence. In the older monetary system, pence was the plural of penny, so twopence referred to a denomination equivalent to two pennies. The contraction to tuppence developed as the older denomination declined in use, while related names such as penny, twopenny, and halfpenny reflect the same British currency vocabulary.
How tuppence is actually used
Chiefly British and now somewhat old-fashioned or literary. It is especially common in idioms such as “not give a tuppence” and “not care a tuppence,” where it denotes a negligible amount of money.
Easily confused with tuppence
Tuppence is an informal contracted form, whereas twopence is the standard spelling for the former coin or denomination worth two pence.