worth a Continental
- idiom
- Archaic
:
no vale un centavo
- After years of neglect, the painting was determined to be worth a Continental at the auction.
Examples
-
The old coin in my pocket is worth a Continental; no one wants it.
-
That broken watch is worth a Continental and should be thrown away.
-
Hence the phrase, 'not worth a Continental.'
Blog text (23)
Synonyms
5
3.6
Not worth anything or useful
1
7.0
Having little or no value
1
6.2
Of no value or use
Completely without value or use
Completely without value or use
Not useful and having little value
It has very little value
Very common and not worth much
Very common and not worth much
Antonyms
How Valuable
Surface Forms
Morphology
worth + a + Continental
Although 'worth' signals value, the noun phrase 'a Continental' refers to a specific historical currency (the Continental) whose low value is a cultural/historical fact. An average B1 learner who knows 'worth' and 'Continental' would not be able to infer 'worthless' from the literal meanings because the connection is idiomatic and requires background knowledge, so the expression is opaque.
Etymology
Worth a Continental may come from the American Revolutionary War, when paper money called Continentals lost almost all their value. So saying something is 'not worth a Continental' became a way to say it is 'worthless'.