plug nickel
1
9.9
- noun
- Archaic
- I wouldn't spend a plug nickel on that outdated technology.
Examples
-
Hey, George, don't take any plug nickels.
-
The last time I checked, the US Treasury is flat broke and can't lend a plug nickel to any state.
Blog text (1) -
- Well, I wouldn't give you a plug nickel for this signpost, Doc.
-
Hearken to me, if my husband the king and my son the doctor walketh near upon these paved paths and heareth what thou sayest, thy life would not be worth a plug nickel!
-
His proposal isn't worth a plug nickel in my opinion.
-
She realized that her savings were down to a plug nickel.
Synonyms
2
7.0
Having little or no value
1
9.6
Has no value and is useless to anyone
1
6.2
Of no value or use
It has very little value
Very common and not worth much
Antonyms
How Valuable
Surface Forms
Morphology
plug + nickel
The constituent 'nickel' clearly evokes a small monetary amount, so a B1 learner might infer the phrase relates to low value; however the role of 'plug' here is historical/idiomatic and does not transparently indicate worthlessness. Because one constituent gives a useful clue but the overall evaluative meaning ('of no value') cannot be reliably derived without prior exposure, the expression is best classified as semi-transparent.
Etymology
Plug nickel may come from a popular story about fake coins: people would put a plug, a small piece of metal, into a worn nickel to hide damage, and that made the coin look fake and worth very little. That's why plug nickel means 'not worth anything' or a very small amount of money.