Two Cents Plain

Two Cents Plain is a slang term for seltzer water.

It derives from a time when soda fountains would list the prices of their various drinks, and the cheapest was plain seltzer, at two cents per glass. It was the drink of choice for many when the Great Depression required thriftiness when going to a restaurant.

Although it started out merely as the price of a drink, the expression took on a life of its own as a synonym for carbonated water. Contrary to its name, nowadays it is usually served free of charge at restaurants.

Cultural references
In his comedy recording, The United States of America: Volume One, The Early Years, Stan Freberg and his players had this dialogue, between Columbus, Isabella and Ferdinand:
 * Isabella: "...The purple mountain majesties above the two cents plain!"
 * Columbus and Ferdinand: "Fruited!"
 * Isabella: "Fruited!"

Another comedy recording, "The Ballad of Irving" by Frank Gallop, tells the mock-heroic story of an inept Jewish cowboy in the Old West who, among other affectations, wore a 10-gallon yarmulke and "even on the range, used two sets of dishes". The third stanza of the song is as follows:


 * A hundred and forty-one could draw faster than he,
 * But Irving was looking for one forty-three.
 * Walked into Sol's Saloon like a man insane,
 * And ordered three fingers of two cents plain.