small beer

small beer (countable and uncountable, plural small beers)

1. (countable, uncountable) Beer with a low alcoholic content.
2. (uncountable, chiefly Britain) Something that is of relatively little importance.

   The income from standard widgets is small beer compared to the income from the gold-plated ones.

   • Shakespeare

     to suckle fools, and chronicle small beer

3. Used other than with a figurative or idiomatic meaning: see small,‎ beer.

• (something of little importance): peanuts, small potatoes