that and a nickel will buy you a cup of coffee

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English[edit]

Phrase[edit]

that and a nickel will buy you a cup of coffee

  1. (US, informal, humorous) Dismisses the mentioned thing as worthless or futile.
    Synonyms: that and a nickel will get you on the subway, that and a token will get you on the subway
    • 2011, James Ankrom, The Reaper, page 83:
      A reputation is only useful to dime novelists, boy. That rep and a nickel will buy you a cup of coffee.
    • 2012, Walter A. Turner, The Back Bay File, page 307:
      “My gut tells me that he is, but with that and two bucks, I can get a cup of coffee, but not much else,” growled Max.
    • 2013, James Ward Lee, A Texas Jubilee: Thirteen Stories from the Lone Star State:
      " […] I guess you got a medal when you got your arm shot off, didn't you?"
      "Yeah, I got the Purple Heart. That and a nickel will get you a cup of weak coffee at the Busy Bee Cafe."
    • 2019, Renee George, Thank You For Not Shifting:
      “That and four bucks will buy you a cup of coffee,” Sunny said.

Usage notes[edit]

  • There are many variants of this phrase, naming different amounts of money, using "get" instead of "buy", and so on, as illustrated in the citations.
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