small change
English
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file)
Noun
small change (uncountable)
- Coins of little value kept in one's pocket or bag.
- (idiomatic) A minor or insignificant amount of money.
- The cost of toothpaste is small change compared to the cost of dental work.
- (idiomatic, by extension) A person or thing of little importance or value.
- 1988 Dec. 14, Vincent Canby, "Movie Review: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," New York Times (retrieved 25 May 2016):
- He's a self-satisfied klutz who aspires to be a con artist. . . . Compared with Lawrence, Freddy is small change.
- 1988 Dec. 14, Vincent Canby, "Movie Review: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," New York Times (retrieved 25 May 2016):
Usage notes
This idiom can also used in the negative to indicate a great deal of money:
- The car he wants costs $38,000, and that's no small change.
Synonyms
- (coins of little value): loose change, spare change, shrapnel (slang)
- (minor or insignificant amount of money): chump change
- (person or thing of little importance or value): small potatoes
Translations
a minor or insignificant amount of money
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