small beer

noun

: weak or inferior beer

: something of small importance : trivia

small-beer

ˈsmȯl-ˈbir How to pronounce small beer (audio)

adjective

Did you know?

Small beer dates from Shakespeare's day. The Bard didn't coin it (the word has been in use since the 15th century, well before Shakespeare was born), but he did put the term to good use. In Henry VI, Part 2, for example, the rebel Jack Cade declares that, when he becomes king, he will "make it felony to drink small beer." In Othello, Desdemona asks Iago to describe a "deserving woman." Iago responds by listing praises for ten lines, only to conclude that such a woman would be suited "to suckle fools, and chronicle small beer"; in other words, to raise babies and keep track of insignificant household expenses. Desdemona quickly retorts, declaring Iago's assertion a "most lame and impotent conclusion."

Example Sentences

the money we spend on cable is small beer compared to the mortgage payment we have to come up with every month

Recent Examples on the Web Count us skeptical that Democrats will back any substantive reforms that could ease fossil-fuel development, but even those on the table seem to be small beer.

The Editorial Board, WSJ, 2 Aug. 2022 Concerns about prices of pork, soybeans and solar panels are small beer in light of this scourge, which is now responsible for the annual deaths of tens of thousands of Americans.

WSJ, 12 July 2022 One of the village’s longest streets, School Street, winding past homes and a small beer and kvass stand, was cratered from bombs and littered with shrapnel.

Fredrick Kunkle, Washington Post, 30 May 2022 That's small beer compared to the lackluster engine performance, but this won't surprise any current-generation Forester owners because the Wilderness has the same 2.5-liter flat-four with a middling 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque.

Dan Edmunds, Car and Driver, 25 Oct. 2021 The reason for the epic drive: After forming in Lubbock in 2012 and graduating from small beer joints to Texas dance halls and beyond, the group is now set to make its Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville on Friday.

Jon Freeman, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2021 To be sure — three of my favorite weasel words — these large home value increases are relatively small beer compared with the far bigger increase in the value of U.S. stocks over the same period.

Washington Post, 16 June 2021 That makes the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 look like small beer.

Mickey D. Levy And Michael D. Bordo, WSJ, 26 Apr. 2021 Even this was small beer compared with the $650m that Google then paid for DeepMind, a company with 50 employees and no revenues.

Calum Chace, Forbes, 7 Apr. 2021 See More

单词	small beer
释义	small beer noun 1 : weak or inferior beer 2 : something of small importance : trivia small-beer ˈsmȯl-ˈbir adjective Did you know? Small beer dates from Shakespeare's day. The Bard didn't coin it (the word has been in use since the 15th century, well before Shakespeare was born), but he did put the term to good use. In Henry VI, Part 2, for example, the rebel Jack Cade declares that, when he becomes king, he will "make it felony to drink small beer." In Othello, Desdemona asks Iago to describe a "deserving woman." Iago responds by listing praises for ten lines, only to conclude that such a woman would be suited "to suckle fools, and chronicle small beer"; in other words, to raise babies and keep track of insignificant household expenses. Desdemona quickly retorts, declaring Iago's assertion a "most lame and impotent conclusion." Synonyms bagatelle child's play frippery nonproblem nothing picayune shuck(s) small change trifle triviality See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences the money we spend on cable is small beer compared to the mortgage payment we have to come up with every month Recent Examples on the Web Count us skeptical that Democrats will back any substantive reforms that could ease fossil-fuel development, but even those on the table seem to be small beer. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 2 Aug. 2022 Concerns about prices of pork, soybeans and solar panels are small beer in light of this scourge, which is now responsible for the annual deaths of tens of thousands of Americans. WSJ, 12 July 2022 One of the village’s longest streets, School Street, winding past homes and a small beer and kvass stand, was cratered from bombs and littered with shrapnel. Fredrick Kunkle, Washington Post, 30 May 2022 That's small beer compared to the lackluster engine performance, but this won't surprise any current-generation Forester owners because the Wilderness has the same 2.5-liter flat-four with a middling 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. Dan Edmunds, Car and Driver, 25 Oct. 2021 The reason for the epic drive: After forming in Lubbock in 2012 and graduating from small beer joints to Texas dance halls and beyond, the group is now set to make its Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville on Friday. Jon Freeman, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2021 To be sure — three of my favorite weasel words — these large home value increases are relatively small beer compared with the far bigger increase in the value of U.S. stocks over the same period. Washington Post, 16 June 2021 That makes the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 look like small beer. Mickey D. Levy And Michael D. Bordo, WSJ, 26 Apr. 2021 Even this was small beer compared with the $650m that Google then paid for DeepMind, a company with 50 employees and no revenues. Calum Chace, Forbes, 7 Apr. 2021 See More Word History First Known Use 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 small beer noun as in nothing something of little importance the money we spend on cable is small beer compared to the mortgage payment we have to come up with every month Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance nothing small change triviality shuck(s) trifle nonproblem bagatelle picayune child's play frippery zero smoke two bits naught fribble straw nothingness peanuts pittance fudge song bunk nonsense rot trivia speck nought claptrap hogwash bit trash shred folly humbuggery touch piffle pinhead dram humbug ounce tad spot scintilla lick particle drivel mite crumb smidgen dab soupçon smidge smidgin trace smidgeon
随便看	lamprophyllite lamprophyre lamprophyres lamprophyric lamps lampshade lampshades lampshell lampshells Lampsilis lampstand lampwick lampworker lampworking lampworkings lampyrid Lampyridae lampyridaes lampyrids Lampyris lams lamster lamsters Lamut lamuts

small beer

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

noun