not worth a curse

English

Etymology

Corrupted from earlier not worth a cress.

Adjective

not worth a curse (not comparable)

1. Worthless.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:worthless

   • 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter IV, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 41:

     “My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. ¶ Von Lindowe cut at a furze bush with his silver-mounted rattan. ¶ “Quite so,” he said as dryly, his hand at his mustache. “I may say if your intentions were known your life would not be worth a curse.”