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.

As @64sNewName has it. It was a very weak beer brewed for consumption by [for example] labourers during their working day. It was mildly alcoholic but better for them than water in that it had been boiled and thus purified. I doubt any is made these days even by commercial brewers!

We must go to the pub ...

@64sNewName that's my understanding too. Comes from weak beer people used to drink (and give their DCs) as it was safer than water. They say it in the Shardlake novels (Tudor murder mystery) which is about the extent of my historical knowledge!

Yes Stirling (central scotland)

I’ve heard it used in context of something being fairly insignificant.

Yes and yes. S Wales.

Never heard it before, I live in the Midlands and in my 50's

It was what everyone, from babies to grannys, used to drink . As water was not safe to drink, back in medieval times, brewing it made it safe(er).

Yes, I'm mid fifties and from the North West and I've heard it.

I have and do. Lancashire and Yorkshire but I might have got it from reading.

The expression is also used in Flemish.

Scotland, yes i would use it. Normally as a comparison ie ' its small beer compared to ......'

Never heard of it, small fry though I have heard, but I've moved a bit and don't really have any sort of regional accent or language

I think 64 is correct. Lots of people would brew beer hundreds of years ago to make the water safe from bacteria.

Yes that confirmed about where it came from (by the lovely Susie Dent!).

I was wondering where it was used or if it was common usage and I'd managed to by-pass it!! Well that or it's because I'm uneducated and ill-read 😂

To suckle fools and chronicle small beer.

• Othello

Comes from weak beer people used to drink (and give their DCs) as it was safer than water. They say it in the Shardlake novels (Tudor murder mystery)

Exactly what I was about to write! Love Shardlake.

Yes I’ve heard of it , NW England, also love the Shardlake books.

I know the phrase but probably wouldn't use it myself. Midlands.

I am familiar with this phrase but am not sure when I last heard/ read it. It doesn't sound archaic to me but then again I am not young. I have never used it myself.
Ps Shardlake fan also

I like Shardlake too. Off topic, but I wonder whether there will be any more in the series. Last I heard, CJ Sansom was pretty seriously ill. 😕

(Maybe we need a Shardlake thread.)

I've heard it and used it. I'm London/SE.

No and no s wales

Never heard it. Midlands but have lived in NW and SE too.

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.

I could (almost) have written this ^

So yes, I've heard it. I'm in the Midlands.

Oh no I didn't realise CJ Sansom was unwell.
But yes for a Shardlake thread!