Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

small potatoes

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.08 in modern English

Syllables: smal-l- pota-toes
IPA

17

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.

Example Sentences

"My paycheck is small potatoes compared to hers."
"He no longer works for individuals, since they are small potatoes compared to his corporate clients."
"It's small potatoes for a man-o-war to be hunting poor game, like us little fore and afters.""
"The queen may have outwitted Otto, but he’s small potatoes compared to a master opponent like the Lady of Driftmark."

Etymology

A specialization of a sense of potato meaning a thing of little value, and a comment on the low value of a small potato in particular, appearing in its modern form in North America in the mid-19th century (see 1855 quotation).

Synonyms

peanuts small beer small fry nobody no one

Antonyms

some pumpkins

Questions

What does small potatoes mean?: One or more persons or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.
Where does small potatoes come from?: A specialization of a sense of potato meaning a thing of little value, and a comment on the low value of a small potato in particular, appearing in its modern form in North America in the mid-19th century (see 1855 quotation).

How to pronounce small potatoes

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