Englishnot worth a dime
Meaning: Worthless.
Example: “That so-called antique vase isn't worth a dime.”
Origin: The dime is one of the original denominations of United States currency, authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792, and its name descends through French disme from Latin decima, a tenth — the coin is literally the tenth part of a dollar. It is also the physically smallest coin in ordinary American circulation, smaller than the cent and the nickel despite being worth more than either, which gives the phrase a second layer of dismissiveness beyond the arithmetic. American English has assembled a whole set of these negations around its small change, and the effect in each case is the same: rather than saying a thing has no value, the speaker names the smallest real unit available and denies the thing even that.
More English idioms
- off one's rocker Out of one's mind; slightly crazy.
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- off the wall Unusual; peculiar.
- old-boy network The male connections that a man acquires, usually while in college or the military, later…
- old fuddy-duddy A person who is old-fashioned and not open to new technology or ideas.
- old hat Old-fashioned, or so familiar as to be boring.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- L'absence est à l'amour ce qu'est au feu le vent Separation kills a weak love and strengthens a strong one.
- On ne fait pas boire un âne qui n'a pas soif You can't force someone to do what they don't want to do.
- Ne fais pas à autrui ce que tu ne voudrais pas qu'on te fasse Treat others as you would want to be treated.
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