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Meanings of small beer in English

Portuguese
bagatela
Catalan
minúcia

Something of small importance.

        bagatela
        Usage of small beer in English
        1
        But Bertie Ahern's difficulties are small beer by comparison with Tony Blair's.
        The Irish Times
        2
        His supper consists of an egg and a draught of small beer.
        Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 2
        3
        Every morning a bit of dry bread and some bad small beer.
        Biographia Epistolaris, Volume 1
        4
        There are two firkins of small beer and a tun of canary.
        Sir Nigel
        5
        Malt liquors are divided into small beer, strong beer, ale, and porter.
        The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10,...
        6
        The different taxes upon small beer amount to one shilling and fourpence a-barrel.
        An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
        7
        His beverage was small beer or cider, and two glasses of old Madeira.
        Life of George Washington — Volume 01
        8
        A chronicle of ripe vintages must pass lightly over small beer.
        Huntingtower
        9
        Well, at any rate, he thought rather small beer of the Grey Room.
        The Grey Room
        10
        There was also a pewter mug for each, three-parts filled with small beer.
        Rattlin the Reefer
        11
        This ack-ack was small beer by comparison, little more than a thin splatter.
        The Information Officer
        12
        Can the brandy drinker cheer himself with draughts of small beer?
        The Actress in High Life / An Episode in Winter Quarters
        13
        In absolute terms, this is small beer for the $15 billion Kirin.
        Reuters
        14
        In international terms that sort of figure is small beer.
        The Irish Times
        15
        Yet they were small beer compared to the one who must never be forgotten.
        Tommy's honor: the story of old tom morris and young tom morris,...
        16
        One unit is roughly equivalent to a glass of wine or a small beer.
        Reuters
        This collocation consists of:
        Translations for small beer
        Small beer through the time
        Small beer across language varieties
        Ireland
        Common
        United Kingdom
        Common
        United States of America
        Less common