small beer

См. также в других словарях:

• Small beer — Beer Beer, n. [OE. beor, ber, AS. be[ o]r; akin to Fries. biar, Icel. bj?rr, OHG. bior, D. & G. bier, and possibly E. brew. [root]93, See {Brew}.] 1. A fermented liquor made from any malted grain, but commonly from barley malt, with hops or some… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• small beer — Beer Beer, n. [OE. beor, ber, AS. be[ o]r; akin to Fries. biar, Icel. bj?rr, OHG. bior, D. & G. bier, and possibly E. brew. [root]93, See {Brew}.] 1. A fermented liquor made from any malted grain, but commonly from barley malt, with hops or some… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• Small beer — Small Small (sm[add]l), a. [Compar. {Smaller}; superl. {Smallest}.] [OE. small, AS. sm[ae]l; akin to D. smal narrow, OS. & OHG. smal small, G. schmal narrow, Dan. & Sw. smal, Goth. smals small, Icel. smali smal cattle, sheep, or goats; cf. Gr.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• small beer — 1560s, originally weak beer; used figuratively of small things or trifling matters. SMALL (Cf. Small) with the meaning of low alcoholic content is attested from mid 15c …   Etymology dictionary

• small beer — If something is small beer, it s unimportant …   The small dictionary of idiomes

• small beer — small′ beer′ n. 1) vin weak beer 2) brit. Slang. trivial matters …   From formal English to slang

• small beer — n. 1. [Brit. Archaic] weak or inferior beer 2. Informal a person or thing of little importance …   English World dictionary

• small beer — noun uncount MAINLY BRITISH INFORMAL SMALL POTATOES …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

• small beer — ► small beer chiefly Brit. something unimportant. Main Entry: ↑small …   English terms dictionary

• small beer — noun Date: 1568 1. weak or inferior beer 2. something of small importance ; trivia • small beer adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

• small beer — noun a) Beer with a low alcoholic content The income from gold plated widgets is small beer compared to the income from the standard ones. b) Something that is of relatively little importance. Syn: peanuts, small po …   Wiktionary