Button-holed

Posted by Henry on April 03, 2004

In Reply to: To be worth a button posted by ivi on April 03, 2004

: Can you help with this phrase

: She´d come home knackered, saying, "I´m not worth a button", as she collapsed in a chair.
: Does it mean that she is really exhausted?
: Thanks for reply.

A button is an object of little value. Anything not worth a button is of very little value indeed. The phrase does not directly mean that she is tired. However, she may be so tired that she feels of no value, and therefore not worth a button.

• Tired, so tired ESC 03/April/04