a two cents plain

A two cents plain is a glass of seltzer water. During the Great Depression, one could get an egg cream for twenty-five cents (seltzer, chocolate syrup, and milk), a chocolate milk (milk and chocolate syrup) for a dime, a chocolate soda (seltzer and chocolate syrup) for a nickel, or plain seltzer water for two cents. Two cents plain.

I'll have an egg cream for my lovely date, and I'll take a two cents plain.

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two cent plain

1.Noun, archaic. Plain club soda or selzer.
2.Nown, A term combining frugality and nostalgia. Often associated with Jews since Milton Berle coined the term "for two cents plain."

1. Ol' Billy was the worst sort of customer; he'd order a two cent plain and hassel the ladies all night.
2. For Sal, the plan to build more hydroelectric dams was two cents plain.

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