WORTHLESSNESS
flotsam and jetsam
worthless matter; worthless encumbrances. (Refers to the floating wreckage of a ship and its cargo. Fixed order.)His mind is burdened with the flotsam and jetsam of many years of poor instruction and lax study habits.Your report would be better if you could get rid of a lot of the flotsam and jetsam and clean up the grammar a bit.
for the birds
worthless; undesirable. (Slang.)This television program is for the birds.Winter weather is for the birds.
have seen better days
to be worn or worn out. (Informal.)This coat has seen better days. I need a new one.Oh, my old legs ache. I've seen better days, but everyone has to grow old.
not worth a dime and not worth a red cent
worthless. (Informal.)This land is all swampy. It's not worth a dime.This pen I bought isn't worth a dime. It has no ink.It's not worth a red cent.
not worth a hill of beans and not worth a plugged nickel
worthless. (Folksy.)Your advice isn't worth a hill of beans.This old cow isn't worth a plugged nickel.
null and void
canceled; worthless. (Fixed order.)I tore the contract up, and the entire agreement became null and void.The judge declared the whole business null and void.
clinker
n. a worthless person or thing. (From the term for a cinder.)This guy is such a clinker. Who needs him?Ralph has turned out to be a real clinker. We'll have to pink slip him.
clunker
n. someone or something worthless; a clinker.We have to get the clunkers off the payroll.Fred? There's another clunker we don't need.
cotton-picking and cotton-pickin'
mod. worthless; damned. (Folksy.)What's the cotton-pickin' idea?Who is this cotton-picking bigwig pushing us around?
crap
n. junk; worthless matter.Why don't you just throw this crap away?Get your crap off my bed!
deadwood
n. nonproductive or nonfunctional persons.We'll have to cut costs by getting rid of the deadwood.Is there any way to make the deadwood productive again?
good-for-nothing
mod. worthless. (Usually having to do with a person.)Let's get rid of this good-for-nothing car right now.Tell your good-for-nothing brother to find another place to live.
hogwash
n. something worthless; nonsense.This stuff is hogwash. Take it away.I am tired of hearing your hogwash!
lost cause
n. a hopeless or worthless thing or person.The whole play began to wash out during the second act. It was a lost cause by the third.Max is a lost cause. Just forget about him.
no-account
mod. worthless; no-good.Her uncle is a no-account gambler.She is a no-account part-time dealer at the casino.
no-good
mod. worthless; bad.Get that no-good jerk out of here!I have never heard of such a no-good car dealership before.
not worth a damn
mod. worthless.This pen is not worth a damn.When it comes to keeping score, she's not worth a damn.
not worth a plugged nickel
mod. worth little or nothing.This new battery is not worth a plugged nickel.Mary isn't worth a plugged nickel at baseball.
not worth beans
mod. worthless.This paint is not worth beans. I'll have to buy another can.Sue, you're not worth beans as a painter.
slime
n. degrading matters; corrupt people or situations.I don't want to be involved in slime like that.The press uncovered even more slime at city hall.
tripe
n. a bad performance; something worthless.I know tripe when I see tripe, and that was tripe.The reviewer thought your play was tripe.