ain't worth a hill of beans
Worth almost nothing; not worth fussing over.
Also called not worth a hill of beans, don't amount to a hill of beans.
Updated September 21, 2026
ain't worth a hill of beans pronunciation
/AYNT wurth uh HILL uh BEENZ/
Meaning
A blunt way to say something has little value or does not matter much. You can aim it at a plan, a promise, a gadget, or a whole argument. The point is the same: do not waste your worry on it.
How folks use it
- “That old lawnmower ain't worth a hill of beans anymore.”
- “Without the receipt, your complaint ain't worth a hill of beans.”
Origin and etymology
American English from around the mid-1800s. A "hill of beans" first meant a little mound where gardeners plant bean seeds. Beans had long stood for something cheap, so a whole hill of them became a folksy measure of near-zero worth. The ain't version stuck hard in rural and Southern talk, and Casablanca later made "hill of beans" famous worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
Does it mean literal beans?
No. Nobody is pricing produce. It just means nearly worthless.