small changen.adj.

1679 J. Harrison Lamentable Cry Oppress. 27 They sought for Money, but finding none but the Change-Box, they took out of it in small change 4 s.

1691 G. Miege New State Eng. ii. iv. 50 For the Conveniency of small Change, and the Benefit of the Poor, Farthings and Halfpences..have been suffered to be Coyned.

1740 W. Douglass Disc. Concerning Curr. 4 It is true, that in some Countries of Europe Billon (a base mixture of Metals) is used for small Change, but not as a Medium of Trade.

1779 B. Franklin Let. 2 Oct. in Papers (1993) XXX. 430 There has..been an Intention to strike Copper Coin that may not only be useful as small Change, but serve other Purposes.

1811 S. Smith Lett. (1953) I. 215 Paper currency in as good a state as in any part of England. No tokens and plenty of small change.

1827 J. F. Cooper Red Rover I. iii. 51 Throwing a handful of small change to the seamen, he wished them a better meal.

1880 Harper's Mag. July 320/1 Pulling out an enormous wallet filled with nickels and coppers, he delayed the conductor for several minutes doing out his small change.

1958 A. Sillitoe Saturday Night & Sunday Morning i. iv. 64 He sorted through a handful of small change for pennies.

1968 Times 17 Apr. 6/1 The 10p. and 5p. coins could appear in small change almost at once.

2001 B. Broady In this Block there lives Slag 142 He's got a travel pass and small change for the phone in case of emergencies.

1822 R. Southey Let. 5 Jan. in London Lit. Gaz. 19 Jan. 43/2 Passing it, as it had been taken, in the small change of conversation, for no more than it was worth.

1841 ‘Dow, Jr.’ Short Patent Serm. 43 Moments are the small change of time.

1855 Punch 24 Nov. 214/2 Politeness has been called the small change of morals.

1883 Cent. Mag. Mar. 678/2 The bumble-bee rifles the dicentra and the columbine of their treasures in the same manner.., and the honey-bee gleans over him, taking the small change he leaves.

1940 T. Wolfe & E. C. Aswell You can't go Home Again xxvi. 383 George began to talk about ‘the artist’, spouting all the intellectual and aesthetic small change of the period.

1957 R. Gordon Doctor in Love (1961) 60 My resignation to an existence spent handling the small change of medicine.

1978 M. Puzo Fools Die ii. 26 ‘He's small change’, Cully said. ‘But a good kid.’

2002 Independent 28 May 14/3 For better or worse, ‘postmodernism’ has become part of the conceptual small-change of the developed world.

1890 Illustr. Amer. 4 Oct. 57/2 The lady guide, with her bright, responsive manners, shrewd eyes, neatly bound city map, and small change purse, has come to be a regular feature of London town.

1925 Today's Housewife Nov. 5/1 This size makes it large enough to hold handkerchief, card-case, vanity-box and a small change purse.

1998 Edinb. Student 12 Nov. 4/1 The new card was due to..eliminate the need for lots of small-change transactions in union bars and shops.

2004 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 12 Feb. a32/1 Small-change debates over the sanctity of the Super Bowl halftime show.