care a jackstraw

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English

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Alternative forms

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Verb

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care a jackstraw (third-person singular simple present cares a jackstraw, present participle caring a jackstraw, simple past and past participle cared a jackstraw)

  1. (idiomatic, dated, usually in a negative use) To care (at all).
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:care
    • 1863, J[oseph] Sheridan Le Fanu, “In Which One of Little Bopeep’s Sheep Comes Home Again, and Various Theories Are Entertained Respecting Charles Nutter and Lieutenant Puddock”, in The House by the Church-yard. [], volume II, London: Tinsley, Brothers, [], →OCLC, page 191:
      [] Dangerfield was content to leave the question in abeyance, and did not seem to care a jackstraw what the townspeople said or thought—[]
    • 1865, Anne I. Robertson, chapter 10, in Yaxley and its Neighbourhood[1], volume 1, London: T. Cautley Newby, page 122:
      [] who’d care for the reputation of a schoolmaster? Do you think I’d care a jackstraw about Benson’s character if he was to die to-morrow?”