What does the expression “put your five kopeks in” mean?
The roots of this expression can be found in the Bible. In the New Testament, there is a story about a poor widow who donated as much as she could to the church – two copper coins or ‘lepta’.
In Soviet times, five kopecks – or a ‘pyatachok’ – was small change: that was how much a subway ride cost. By analogy, people began to use this phrase to refer to a small contribution to a common cause or discussion. And not always in a positive way. A person who wants to join a conversation without even knowing the topic, simply for the sake of participating, might also be criticized with the phrase: “Вставил свои пять копеек!” (”Vstavil svoi pyat kopeek!” or “Put his five kopeks in!”).
An English equivalent would be: “Put one’s two cents in.”