Small potato

Posted by James Briggs on June 02, 2001

Further to the now archived discussion about 'small potato'. In Britain we tend to use the term 'small beer'. This comes from the old method of making beer when three brews were made from the same mash. The third, and very weak beer, was called 'small' and was drunk by children. All of this in the Middle Ages when water could be lethal. Hence anything weak or trivial can be likened to 'small beer'.