Writers Have Been Short Changed!

Now talking bids on well-worn expressions

I’ve just returned from a 9-week no-kidding trip around the world.

• 8 countries

• 4 continents

• 19 cities, small towns, and islands.

I’ll have much to say and write about this trip over the next coming months as I return to Research for Writers and Other Curious People. But as 2025 comes to a close, and I catch up on all things domestic, I had a thought, a gripping, throttling, linguistic sadness, which I had not prepared to experience when I came home.

Writers Have Been Short Changed

You likely have a jar or pile of pennies even if you’re not an American but have visited in the past.

Let me back up a bit.

One of the conveniences of modern global travel is there is less need to exchange money. The European Union shares the Euro, effectively freeing visitors from the dearth of exchange rates and physical coins and paper. I never saw what the currency looks like in Australia, everything was blissfully tap and pay on our phones. However, cash still rules in places like Thailand and Japan.

As I sorted my remaining international currency, I noted how beautiful and varied the bills and coins were. Many countries use small copper coins that resemble the U.S. penny.

Thai Bhat. I thought about making these into earrings but it’s illegal in Thailand to say anything bad about the royal family and somehow messing with the money feels wrong.

Then it hit me.

While I was traveling, the U.S. Mint pressed the official last batch EVER of pennies to be released according to this article in early 2026.

Yes, I realize it costs more to produce a penny than it’s worth. Most people have a pile or two or three of coins in a jar sitting somewhere collecting dust. Canada phased out its penny in 2013. I’m not arguing against this decision.

But…what about the writers?

In addition to the U.S. not having a practical phase-out plan for the penny, no one warned us

What are we to do without the penny-related expressions, sweet nothings, and cliches about the penny?

In a generation, will a penny for your thoughts mean anything to new consumers of media? And what about all my friends named Penny, I know several. Have they been stripped of something of value?

Below is probably not a complete list of penny-related common expressions and some silly possible substitutions.

A penny for your thoughts becomes A token for your DMs

Pennies from heaven becomes bitcoin from hell.

A penny saved is a penny earned becomes long-term capital gains saves you on taxes.

Don’t be pennywise and pound foolish ( an old English expression about not making bad decisions) becomes skip the rental car insurance and use a better credit card.

Pennypinching, similar to pennywise has to do with saving everything you can at all costs, and not always good ones now becomes plasticware pinching, allowing small portions of food to rot in the fridge. His plasticware pinching has caused a household hazmat issue with the roommates

See a penny pick it up and all the day you’ll have good luck (also see a pin in some versions) becomes put down your phone when crossing the street to avoid being hit by a car.

The Pennysaver newspaper becomes the Dollar Dealer or Bitcoin Bargain or Call Margin Mailer?

Bad penny becomes bad credit or maybe no credit. She’s a bad credit kinda person does have an evocative meaning.

Bright as a new penny becomes as bright as a new smartphone.

At least we can still nickel and dime something.

Yes, these are ridiculous, and there are a ton more penny expressions I haven’t included, but now, sorry not sorry, you’ll be awash in them for at least the rest of the day. I’d love to know your most-used beloved and now obsolete penny expression and what to replace it with.

Thanks for reading in 2025 and for your patience while I traversed the globe. Thank you too for supporting The Pelican Tide as well. If you read it this year or in 2024, I’d appreciate you posting a review Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub - wherever you review your reading list. I’m just shy of 900 reviews on Amazon. Please help push it over the line. Reviews help writers reach more people.

Have a safe and healthy holiday season. Buy books, gift books, and immerse yourself in reading and writing.

I don’t have a chance to say it enough, but I appreciate all of you, your comments, shares, and likes. I’ve met amazing people from writing this Substack - what a gift to me!