hill of beans

American  

noun

Informal.

1. something of trifling value; virtually nothing at all.

   The problem didn't amount to a hill of beans.

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Etymology

Origin of hill of beans

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Next to all that, a rocky relationship styled into an on-and-off situationship for a reality TV subplot is the proverbial hill of beans Rick Blaine mentioned in “Casablanca.”

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

Moral victories don’t amount to a hill of beans in the NFL, but players see the upcoming schedule starting with the Bears and know this is the time to stack wins.

From Washington Times • Oct. 4, 2023

It’s a hill of beans in the bigger picture.

From Slate • May 29, 2020

“Yes, I know that the world is going to pieces, and that the prowess of three gifted players doesn’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world,” Krauthammer wrote.

From Washington Post • Jun. 22, 2018

The boat assignments really didn’t amount to a hill of beans for now.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown