small fry

American  

[smawl frahy] / ˈsmɔl ˌfraɪ /

noun

plural

small fry, small fry, small fries

1. a child: He's a small fry with a big personality.

   Here's a treat for the small fry.

   He's a small fry with a big personality.

2. an unimportant person or object.

   Her fancy parties were closed to the small fry.

3. a small or young fish.

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small fry British  

plural noun

1. people or things regarded as unimportant

2. young children

3. young or small fishes

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small fry Idioms  

1. Young children, as in This show is not suitable for small fry .

2. Persons of little importance or influence, as in She wasn't about to invite the Washington small fry to the reception . Both usages allude to fry in the sense of “young or small fish.” [Late 1800s]

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Other Word Forms

• small-fry adjective

Etymology

Origin of small fry

First recorded in 1895–1900; fry ²

Example Sentences

Speaking on BBC's Radio Scotland Breakfast, he said: "This is an incredibly serious situation, and a World Cup feels somewhat small fry in that context."

From BBC

Several clients raised the question of whether this bet was being redefined to benefit “whales,” or big-money gamblers, at the expense of the small fry.

From MarketWatch

Big money for a side operating on frees and non-contracts not so long ago, but small fry when it comes to pushing for the Premier League.

From BBC

"There's big and serious history here, wars which changed the course of history on a continent. Put it against that, it's small fry," Mr Hare remarked.

From BBC

Some passages one might almost call psychedelic if that word didn’t seem inappropriate to small fry.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• baby
• boy
• daughter
• girl
• juvenile
• kid
• minor
• offspring
• son
• youngster
• youth