No hay es que ni pero que valga (No hay (ni) pero que valga)

[Wahooka]

Here is another phrase from Tintin comic book.

CONTEXT: Captain is yelling at Tintin.

PHRASE: No hay es que ni pero que valga.

This is a tough one to translate!

[aleCcowaN]

It depends on a wider context, but it seems a so-so translation of something equivalent to "no ifs, ands or buts"

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I think you will find more commonly "no hay (ni) pero que valga", which means something like "there is no excuse".

[Wahooka]

Okay, thanks.

I thought "valga" means "to be worth something".

How did you arrive at that?

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

The verb "valer" also conveys the idea that something is useful. That's how it's used in this expression. :)

[aleCcowaN]

Here valer means "be used as a defense or protection":

no hay excusa que valga
no le valdrá su amistad con el juez