"Has the USA ever defaulted on its debt?"
How about a History lesson:

Frankly, My Dear, I don't Give A Continental

March 8, 2016
Great feature inThe Hollywood Reporter about "Hollywood's 100 Favorite Movie Lines," and how the classic line "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," fromGone With The Wind almost didn't make the final cut. The studio was very nervous about using such a strong swear word—"damn"—and apparently asked the writer to come up with 20 alternatives.

The continental

Posted by ESC on November 30, 2009 at 13:10

In Reply to:The continental posted by Max on November 30, 2009 at 09:50:

: What does "continental" refer to in the phrase ... "couldn't give a continental"?

The second Continental Congress began issuing "Continental money" in 1775, the year before the American Revolution. So much was printed that during the war a continental was almost worthless.