small potatoes
1
a person or thing of small importance
The idiom "small potatoes" originated in the United States during the 19th century and was associated with the idea of small, insignificant, or unimportant things. Potatoes were once considered a humble and inexpensive food, so this expression is used to suggest that something is of little value or consequence, like a meager or trivial portion of a meal.
- Compared to the major problems we face, that issue is just small potatoes.
- Don't worry about the minor errors in your report; they're really small potatoes.
- His criticism of my outfit is small potatoes compared to the bigger challenges I'm dealing with.
- She thought missing the bus was a disaster, but in the grand scheme of things, it's just small potatoes.
- In the world of international finance, a million dollars can sometimes be considered small potatoes.