small potatoes
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See also: small-potatoes
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
A specialization of a sense of potato meaning a thing of little value, and a comment on the low value of a small potato in particular, appearing in its modern form in North America in the mid-19th century (see 1855 quotation).
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (AU) (file)
Noun[edit]
small potatoes pl (plural only)
- (idiomatic) One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.
- My paycheck is small potatoes compared to hers.
- He no longer works for individuals, since they are small potatoes compared to his corporate clients.
- 1855, Thomas Chandler Haliburton, “Unlocking a Woman's Heart”, in Nature and Human Nature[1], volume 1, page 38:
- It's small potatoes for a man-o-war to be hunting poor game, like us little fore and afters."
- 2022 October 16, Jenna Scherer, “An enticing House Of The Dragon crowns Westeros' new ruler”, in AV Club[2]:
- The queen may have outwitted Otto, but he’s small potatoes compared to a master opponent like the Lady of Driftmark.
Synonyms[edit]
- peanuts (usually of money), small beer, small fry, nobody, no one
Antonyms[edit]
Translations[edit]
small fry — see small fry
References[edit]
- James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928), “Potato”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volumes VII (O–P), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 1185, column 2.
- John Russell Bartlett (1877) “small potatoes”, in Dictionary of Americanisms: A Glossary of Words and Phrases usually Regarded as Peculiar to the United States, fourth edition, Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, →OCLC.