penny-ante

penny-ante
/pen"ee an"tee/, adj. Informal.
1. involving a trifling sum of money; small in amount: a penny-ante investment.
2. inconsiderable; minor; small-time.
[1930-35, Amer.]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • penny ante — ☆ penny ante n. 1. a game of poker in which the ante or limit is a very small amount, as one cent 2. any trifling undertaking …   English World dictionary

  • penny-ante — /pen ee an tee/, adj. Informal. 1. involving a trifling sum of money; small in amount: a penny ante investment. 2. inconsiderable; minor; small time. [1930 35, Amer.] * * * pennˈy anˈte adjective Of no great value or significance • • • Main Entry …   Useful english dictionary

  • penny-ante — mod. trivial; cheap. (See also ante.) □ I’m sick of this penny ante stuff. Let’s get serious. □ Max moved from penny ante crimes into drugs …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

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  • penny-ante — /pɛni ˈænti/ (say penee antee) adjective mean minded; petty; niggardly. {penny + ante; US English (1850s) from the game of poker where the ante is fixed as one penny} …  

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