ROGET'S THESAURUS OF ENGLISH WORDS AND PHRASES ...

signifies it, what boots it, what of it, what of that, what matter, what's the odds, a fig for',
stuff!, nonsense!, stuff and nonsense,
Phr. magno conatu magnas nugas [Lat.]; le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle [Fr.]; it matters
not, it does not signify; it is of no consequence, it is of no importance; elephantus non
capit murem [Lat.]; tempete dans un verre d'eau [Fr.].
644. Utility -- N. utility; usefulness &c adj.; efficacy, efficiency, adequacy; service, use,
stead, avail; help &c (aid) 707; applicability &c adj.; subservience &c (instrumentality)
631; function &c (business) 625; value; worth &c (goodness) 648; money's worth;
productiveness &c 168; cui bono &c (intention) 620 [Lat.]; utilization &c (use) 677; step
in the right direction.
common weal; commonwealth public good, public interest; utilitarianism &c
(philanthropy) 910.
V. be useful &c adj.; avail, serve; subserve &c (be instrumental to) 631; conduce &c
(tend) 176; answer, serve one's turn, answer a purpose, serve a purpose.
act a part &c (action) 680; perform a function, discharge a function &c; render a
service, render good service, render yeoman's service; bestead † , stand one in good stead
be the making of; help &c 707.
bear fruit &c (produce) 161; bring grist to the mill; profit, remunerate; benefit &c (do
good) 648.
find one's account in, find one's advantage in; reap the benefit of &c (be better for)
658.
render useful &c (use) 677.
Adj. useful; of use &c n.; serviceable, proficuous † , good for; subservient &c
(instrumental) 631; conducive &c (tending) 176; subsidiary &c (helping) 707.
advantageous &c (beneficial) 648; profitable, gainful, remunerative, worth one's salt;
valuable; prolific &c (productive) 168.
adequate; efficient, efficacious; effective, effectual; expedient &c 646.
applicable, available, ready, handy, at hand, tangible; commodious, adaptable; of all
work.
Adv. usefully &c adj.; pro bono publico [Lat.].
645. Inutility -- N. inutility; uselessness &c adj.; inefficacy † , futility; ineptitude,
inaptitude; unsubservience † ; inadequacy &c (insufficiency) 640; inefficiency, &c
(incompetence) 158; unskillfulness &c 699; disservice; unfruitfulness &c
(unproductiveness).. 169; labor in vain, labor lost, labor of Sisyphus; lost trouble, lost
labor; work of Penelope; sleeveless errand, wild goose chase, mere farce.
tautology &c (repetition) 104; supererogation &c (redundancy) 641.
vanitas vanitatum [Lat.], vanity, inanity, worthlessness, nugacity † ; triviality &c
(unimportance) 643.
caput mortuum [Lat.], waste paper, dead letter; blunt tool.
litter, rubbish, junk, lumber, odds and ends, cast-off clothes; button top; shoddy; rags,
orts † , trash, refuse, sweepings, scourings, offscourings † , waste, rubble, debris, detritus;
stubble, leavings; broken meat; dregs &c (dirt) 653; weeds, tares; rubbish heap, dust hole;
rudera † , deads † .
fruges consumere natus [Lat.] [Horace].