What does 'two-bit paper pusher' mean?

Question

I often find a joke titled, ‘When a grandma goes to court’ followed by the line, ‘Lawyers should never ask a question if they aren’t prepared for the answer.’

I don’t know if it’s a popular joke or not. It deals with an elderly woman called to the stand as the first witness. She knows everything about the background and secrets of both prosecuting and defense attorneys.

Realizing that she knows too much, the judge asks both attorneys to come to the bench and tells, “If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I’ll send you both to the electric chair.”

In this joke, the old woman says to the prosecuting attorney, "You think you are some big shot on the rise, but you don't have the brains to realize you are nothing more than a 'two-bit paper pusher.' Yes sir, I know you!"

What does “two-bit paper pusher” mean?

Answer 1

Two bit: small change (ie cheap, in this context)- A bit -

The word bit is a colloquial expression referring to specific coins in various coinages throughout the world.
"Two bits" or "two bit" continues in general use as a colloquial expression, primarily because of the song catchphrase "Shave and a Haircut, two bits." As an adjective, "two-bit" can be used to describe something cheap or unworthy.

Paper pusher: someone who does nothing but push paper around on a desk

Answer 2

'two-bit' means 'petty, insignificant'. 'paper pusher' is a term used for office workers who do paperwork.

In this context, the term 'two-bit paper pusher' is being used as a put-down or a mild insult. The old woman considers the attorney to be working in a menial job; this is further clarified by her saying she does not think the attorney is a 'big shot'.

Answer 3

When used literally, two bits is the same as 25 cents, or 'a quarter'.

I had always assumed that this derived from the term 'pieces of eight'. If a whole 'dollar' is divided into eight equal bits, then two bits are equal to a quarter. I do not know if this is the true origin or not.

Answer 4

Two bits means "twenty-five cents" which means "cheap" or "low paid."

"Paper pusher" means "petty bureaucrat," not a decision maker.

So a "two bit paper pusher" means "a low-paid, petty bureaucrat."