a person or thing of little significance, importance, or value:
His salary was small potatoes for an executive of his ability.
Origin
1825-35
Examples from the web for small potatoes
Wash and pare small potatoes, cut in eighth lengthwise, and soak one hour in cold water.
When it comes to providing an alternative source of oil, pig manure ain't no small potatoes.
Fresh filet of butterfly trout, small potatoes, salad.
Let's face it, my losses were small potatoes compared with the federal deficit.
The money to send a few thousand scientists to a meeting is small potatoes for our large nation.
The ultimate aim is not such humane small potatoes as repatriating refugees.
Compared to overhauling the entire health care system, this was small potatoes.
Which are no small potatoes in any economic climate.
Nuclear bombs make them too, but compared those other events, a nuke detonating is small potatoes.
The investment needed to provide environmentally sustainable development, as it's called, is small potatoes by comparison.
British Dictionary definitions for small potatoes
small potatoes
noun (functioning as singular or pl)
1.
(informal, mainly US & Canadian) someone or something of little significance or value, esp a small amount of money
Slang definitions & phrases for small potatoes
small potatoes
noun phrase
A trivial amount of money; chicken feed, peanuts: I received $120,000, which is no small potatoes
An insignificant person, enterprise, etc: From the tuber is derived the term ''small potatoes,'' applied with more or less humor to anything mean or petty(1840+)