a Yankee dime

[Dennis R. Preston]

Could this be a sarcastic invention based on the old "Not worth a
confederate [money unit]" and the older "Not worth a continental
[money unit]," although the latter has the money unit as optional?

dInIs

>I grew up in the South (1950's) hearing my mother, a Mississippian, use this
>expression occasionally to mean that something was worth little or nothing,
>but I have since asked others from the region if they were familiar with it
>and been told no.

--
Dennis R. Preston
Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics and Languages
740 Wells Hall A
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1027 USA
Office - (517) 353-0740
Fax - (517) 432-2736