plug

obsolete To be completely worthless or useless; to have little or no value. (A variant of "not worth a plugged nickel.") Refers to coins (not only nickels) that were "plugged"—that is, those that had a hole drilled in their center and were filled with cheaper metals—which made the coins illegitimate and worthless if spotted. Primarily heard in US. I was so excited when my grandpa said he'd give me his car, but this old clunker isn't worth a plug nickel. Over the years working here I've come to realize that the boss's promises aren't worth a plug nickel.

To become directly or very closely involved in, attuned to, or enthusiastic about something. Friends have gotten me plugged into the work of various performance artists around the city. It wasn't until college that I really got plugged into the heavy metal scene.

To be directly or very closely involved in, attuned to, or enthusiastic about something. My wife has a lot of friends who are plugged into various performance arts around the city. I've been really plugged into the heavy metal scene ever since college.

To become permanently sober; to give up intoxicants, especially alcohol. (Alludes to plugging up a jug of an alcoholic beverage.) I've always loved my dad, but he's become a much friendlier and sympathetic person since finally putting the plug in the jug. It took me waking up in a ditch and covered in vomit to realize that I needed to put a plug in the jug for good.

obsolete Completely worthless or useless; having little or no value. (A variant of "not worth a plugged nickel.") Refers to coins (not only nickels) that were "plugged"—that is, those that had a hole drilled in their center and were filled with cheaper metals—which made the coins illegitimate and worthless if spotted. Primarily heard in US. I was so excited when my grandpa said he'd give me his car, but this old clunker isn't worth a plug nickel. Over the years working here I've come to realize that the boss's promises aren't worth a plug nickel.

One who energizes others with one's ideas and positive personality. Primarily heard in US. Kelly was the spark plug the company needed to get their new project off the ground.

Inf. I am doing satisfactorily.; I am just managing to function. Bill: How are things going? Bob: I'm just plugging along. Sue: How are you doing, Fred? Fred: Just plugging along, thanks. And you? Sue: About the same.

Inf. worthless. This pen is not worth a damn. When it comes to keeping score, she's not worth a damn.

to keep trying something; to keep working at something. John kept pegging away at the trumpet until he became pretty good at it. I'm not very good at it, but I keep plugging away.

to become attached to something; to become attached to some sort of network or system. As soon as I have plugged my laptop into the local network, I will have access to the Internet. I plugged myself into the computer network and began to communicate quickly and efficiently.

to connect something to something else, usually by connecting wires together with a plug and socket. Plug this end of the wire into the wall. Plug in the lamp and turn it on.

to stop or fill up a hole, crack, or gap. Take out the nail and plug the hole up with something. You have to plug up the cracks to keep out the cold.

to say something favoring someone or something; to advertise someone or something. I hope that when you are in talking to the manager, you put a plug in for me. I could use some help. While you're there, put in a plug.

to keep working in a determined way He's experienced plenty of hard times, but Ed is still plugging away, playing several nights a week at a local jazz club. The powerful computer was plugging away at the problem for weeks.

to stop something from continuing The judge is threatening to pull the plug on TV coverage of the trial.

to do something which prevents an activity from continuing, especially to stop giving money (often + on ) If the viewing figures drop much further, the TV company will pull the plug on the whole series.

a person with a lot of energy and ideas who encourages the other people in a group The school's new principal is the spark plug in a team that includes parents, teachers and community.

Also, not worth a plugged nickel or red cent or bean or hill of beans or fig or straw or tinker's damn . Worthless, as in That car isn't worth a damn, or My new tennis racket is not worth a plugged nickel. As for the nouns here, a damn or curse is clearly of no great value (also see not give a damn); a plugged nickel in the 1800s referred to a debased five-cent coin; a cent denotes the smallest American coin, which was red when made of pure copper (1800s); a bean has been considered trivial or worthless since the late 1300s (Chaucer so used it), whereas hill of beans alludes to a planting method whereby four or five beans are put in a mound (and still are worthless); and both fig and straw have been items of no worth since about 1400. A tinker's dam, first recorded in 1877, was a wall of dough raised around a spot where a metal pipe is being repaired so as to hold solder in place until it hardens, whereupon the dam is discarded. However, tinker's damn was first recorded in 1839 and probably was merely an intensification of "not worth a damn," rather than having anything to do with the dam.

Also, plug away at. Work steadily, persist, as in She pegged away at the tax return until she'd finished, or If we keep plugging away at it, the painting will soon be done. These idioms allude to the persistence required to fasten something by driving pegs or seal something by driving a plug. Peg away dates from the early 1800s plug away from the mid-1900s.

Be closely attuned or responsive, as in He couldn't make any important social connections because he just wasn't plugged in. The related expression be plugged into takes an object, as in These connoisseurs are plugged into the local art scene. These terms allude to inserting a plug into an electrical socket. [Colloquial; c. 1970]

To stop supporting or bring to an end: pulled the plug on the new art courses.