Not Worth a Tinker's Dam

I was driving through South Philly tonight and noticing the ways of an old, traditional neighborhood - complete with religious icons in the windows, old folks sitting out on the porch, and corner mom-and-pop, Italian restaurants.  It made me think of my long-gone grandmother, even though she was neither Italian nor lived in a city!

I could just imagine one of those South Philadelphians I saw tonight using my grandmother's exclamation, "That's not worth a tinker's darn."  I did not realize until several years later that this phrase was really, "That's not worth a tinker's dam."  When I was old enough to appreciate the true statement, I asked my grandmother about it.  Turns out she explained it dead-on.

According to the website usingenglish.com,

This means that something is worthless and dates back to when someone would travel around the countryside repairing things such as a kitchen pot with a hole in it. He was called a 'tinker'. His dam was used to stop the flow of soldering material being used to close the hole. Of course his 'trade' is passé, thus his dam is worth nothing.

There is a whole conversation around whether this original phrase is actually about "a tinker's damn," or a tinker's curse.  A British website (phrases.org.uk), details this part of the etymology.   While I find this latter information interesting, I do not feel compelled to examine it tonight.  Just the pleasant and comforting thought of this interaction with my grandmother is enough.  Right now, because I'm tired, any more than that is just not worth a tinker's dam.