Have you hear, or do you use, the phrase "small beer"

[AnOojamaflip]

Meaning unimportant.

If you have, or do, where you from? (And vise versa.)

Never heard it in my life. Just heard it now for the first time ever! (or possibly just not noticed it before).

I spent a good chunk of my childhood in the Midlands but then got moved about a lot after that.

Never heard it. West Midlands.

Like small fry?

Like a half pint or something?

Yes, I’ve heard that. More often read it than heard it spoken.

It’s quite an old-fashioned turn of phrase. I used to read a lot of older books as a young person and I’ve known this expression since childhood, but I see it less frequently now.

Think so.

I think it originates in the name of a type of actual beer (maybe the weak sort of beer that people used to drink instead of water in ye olden times?) but it evolved as an idiom to refer to something unimportant or insignificant.

Sorry - think so was to small fry. Half pint is more about being small. Small beer means an unimportant thing.

I could have that wrong though. I didn’t stop to check it before posting.

Yes and yes!

"Small beer means an unimportant thing."

In that case I have no idea. I thought you meant a literal small glass of beer.

I use it and hear it all the time. 54 years old and born in the midlands but worked all over and now in North West UK. Small beer means something that is either too small to worry about or something that is the near the bottom of (say) a list of things to do. eg the British Government have demonstrated that the normal business of the day - running the country - has been small beer compared with the huge priority hat is Brexit.... maybe being a little sardonic.

Yes I’ve heard it, maybe from my Irish mum, but she picks up phrases like a magpie picks up gold, so I doubt it’s Irish.

And 64's right, it relates to very weak beer, so it's of no importance ' I'm not drunk, it was just small beer'.

64 has it. I use it, and have heard it also - SE, but like 64 was a reader of "old-fashioned" books (and come from an old-fashioned family) so this may be why

Have read the phrase a lot in older books but I don’t think I’ve ever used it myself or seen/heard it used in IRL.

Yes it's apparently comes from weak beer

Listening to 'Something Rhymes with Purple' podcast - Susie Dent and Gyles Brandreth mentioned it almost like it was an ordinary term.

Yes I've heard it a number of times. I'm from the SE of England originally but now live in the NW. Small beer meant beer with low alcohol content, but the expression means something unimportant, as you say in the OP.

Not that I'd be suprised Susie Dent knows it even it it is rare!!

Yes heard it and use it.

Yes, fairly common as a phrase in NZ.

I think it's pretty common for educated, well-read people to come out with literary or slightly archaic expressions that many people don't use. I'm a teacher and wouldn't say I usually use highbrow language, but I do sometimes use an expression which I consider fairly normal, to be greeted by blank looks from students.

Yes, and I use it quite often.

Yes, heard it and would use it. I'm in my 30s in London - but had an older parent, so possibly from there?

Yes and used it a few times, I’m originally from the SE like another poster who uses it.

Yes I know the phrase - recall it from my childhood in Wales

Yes I have heard it & probably used it now & then, my parents definitely said I’m from London.