Meaning of small beer | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Beer with a low alcoholic content, usually between 0.5% and 2.8%.
   countable, uncountable
2. Something that is of relatively little importance.
   British, figuratively, uncountable
3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see small, beer.
   countable, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“It was then that the large footmen were too much employed at Clavering Park⟳ to be able to bring⟳ messages, or dally over the cup of small beer with the poor little maids at Fairoaks”

“Looking back to the 18th century, when the production of very low-alcohol ‘small’ beers was widespread as a safer alternative to dirty drinking water for the whole family, Small Beer produces a set⟳ of sub-3% brews.”

“The income from standard widgets is small beer compared to the income from the gold-plated ones.”

“To ſuckle Fooles, and chronicle ſmall Beere.”

“‘He’s not in court, man—was quite a break⟳.’ ‘You small beer to him, Peter, it must be.’”

“The estimated £3m extra cost⟳ of providing free school meals represents a little over 1% of the council's education spending. That's no small beer, but nor will it be a huge saving.”

“But because there is a limit⟳ to how much of this is achievable while keeping the whole network operating, we can expect⟳ this to amount to small beer in terms of the overall level of cost⟳ savings required.”

CEFR level