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.

---

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 won’t amount to a hill of beans for the fifth-largest economy in the world,” says finance department spokesman H.D.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2022

A 2-year-old is not really going to meaningfully enjoy visiting another 2-year-old, and skipping one trip matters not a hill of beans in this crazy world.

From Slate • Feb. 3, 2020

“It don’t mean a hill of beans, because the only people that matter are in this room. It doesn’t make a difference, except for the people here.”

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger