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Thread: Small potatoes

  1. #1
    Olenek's Avatar
    Olenek is offline Junior Member
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    Default Small potatoes

    Hi everybody,

    Idioms Small potatoes and Small fry describe persons or things regarded as unimportant.

    (Small fry can also refer to children: Peter's taking the small fry to the zoo.)

    Do you use/ heard other idioms with the sense "unimportant person"?

    Many Thanks for all your answers!
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  2. #2
    freezeframe is offline Key Member
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    Default Re: Small potatoes

    Quote Originally Posted by Olenek View Post

    (Small fry can also refer to children: Peter's taking the small fry to the zoo.)
    Where?

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Small potatoes


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    Default Re: Small potatoes

    Quote Originally Posted by freezeframe View Post
    Where?
    Small fry refers to anyone small in stature, so I think this is the reason it is sometimes extended to children. I wouldn't say it's popular, at least I don't hear it used a lot.

    example:
    (site to teach skating to young children)

    http://www.smallfryskating.com/

    Not a teacher.
    Last edited by SanMar; 28-Apr-2011 at 06:15. Reason: added more info
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    Tdol is offline Editor, UsingEnglish.com
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    Default Re: Small potatoes

    I don't hear it used for children much at all either. There's also small beer.
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    Default Re: Small potatoes

    And the rather confrontational 'I was talking to the organ-grinder, not the monkey' (a reference to Organ grinder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - some of them used to have a monkey dancing as part of the show).

    b
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