# not worth a Continental

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/not-worth-a-continental
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

worthless, lacking in value, especially due to economic inflation.

## Examples

- That old, broken watch is not worth a Continental.
- This cheap plastic tool is not worth a Continental.
- After the company went bankrupt, their stock options were not worth a Continental.
- The politician's promises are not worth a Continental because he never follows through on his word.
- My old car needs so many expensive repairs that it is not worth a Continental anymore.
- The landlord refused to fix the heating, so his verbal guarantee that the apartment would stay warm in winter was not worth a Continental.
- The currency collapsed so rapidly that the paper money in his wallet was soon not worth a Continental.

## Origin

From the rapid depreciation of Continental currency, an early American money that became worthless towards the end of the American Revolutionary War. The phrase reflects the eighteenth-century fiscal instability of the new government, which issued the currency in such quantity that its value collapsed. By the close of the war, the Continental had ceased to be useful for trade, leaving the name to endure as a synonym for that which is entirely without value.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.