tinker's damn: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowInformal, Colloquial
Quick answer
What does “tinker's damn” mean?
Something of little or no value.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Something of little or no value.
An idiomatic expression used to indicate worthlessness or insignificance, often in negative constructions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is similar in both varieties, but may be perceived as slightly more archaic in British English.
Connotations
Historical connotation referring to tinkers (itinerant repairmen) and their cursing, implying something is as worthless as a tinker's curse.
Frequency
More commonly encountered in American English, though still infrequent in modern usage.
Grammar
How to Use “tinker's damn” in a Sentence
not worth [a tinker's damn]give [a tinker's damn] about [something]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “tinker's damn” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He didn't give a tinker's damn about the weather.
American English
- She couldn't care a tinker's damn for their rules.
adverb
British English
- He worked tinker's damn hard, but no one noticed.
American English
- She argued tinker's damn fiercely for her point.
adjective
British English
- It was a tinker's damn shame that the event was cancelled.
American English
- The whole idea was a tinker's damn waste of resources.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used; too informal for professional settings.
Academic
Not appropriate due to colloquial nature.
Everyday
Used in casual speech to express indifference or low value.
Technical
Not applicable in technical contexts.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “tinker's damn”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “tinker's damn”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tinker's damn”
- Confusing 'tinker's damn' with 'tinker's dam', though both are accepted; using it in formal contexts.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be mildly offensive due to 'damn', but it's generally viewed as informal rather than highly vulgar.
No, it is too colloquial and informal for academic or formal contexts.
It derives from the notion that tinkers (itinerant workers) were known for cursing, so their curse was seen as having little value.
'Tinker's damn' is an idiomatic phrase meaning worthless, while 'damn' alone is a stronger expletive or curse word.
Something of little or no value.
Tinker's damn is usually informal, colloquial in register.
Tinker's damn: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtɪŋkəz dɑːm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtɪŋkərz dæm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “not worth a tinker's damn”
- “couldn't give a tinker's damn”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a tinker (a wandering repairman) cursing (damning) something as useless, so it's not worth his curse.
Conceptual Metaphor
Worthlessness is equated to the value of a tinker's curse, emphasizing minimal worth.
Practice
Quiz
What is the meaning of 'tinker's damn'?