Idiom: A drop in the bucket

 

"A drop in the bucket"


Meaning

  • a very small amount compared to the amount needed
  • something small and unimportant, esp. when compared with something else


Notes: 

A bucket could hold tens of thousands of drops of liquid so a drop (one drop) would be a very small or insignificant (unimportant) amount of the entire bucket of liquid.

Synonym: The British and Australian equivalent is "a drop in the ocean".


Example Sentences

  • We were paid about $50,000, but that was a drop in the bucket compared to what some other companies got.
  • For years businesses have dumped toxic waste into the ocean thinking it was just a drop in the bucket but that behavior has destroyed many ecosystems.
  • I cleaned for eight hours today but that's just a drop in the bucket of the work I need to do to get this house cleaned and organized.
  • I know twenty dollars is just a drop in the bucket, but if everyone gave that much it'd make a big difference.
  • What we were paid for our work was a drop in the bucket compared to what the company earned.
  • I'm glad Tony started repaying the money he borrowed from me, but the five dollars he gave me yesterday is just a drop in the bucket compared to what he still owes.
  • This business is just a drop in the bucket of what he owns.
  • For a millionaire, the cost of a luxury car is a drop in the bucket.
  • If you want to have anything to be done, you need to organize thousands of people to protest. You know, one complaint letter is just a drop in the bucket.
  • If we ever have a worldwide economic crash, thousands of banks  will go down. The government says it will back the bank accounts of bank customers but the amount of money  they have in their funds to do this is a drop in the bucket.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Idiom/Phrase: "It's on the tip of my tongue"

Image
  "It's on the tip of my tongue" Meaning If something that you want to say is on the tip of your tongue, you think you are sure you know it such as a word, an answer, or a name, but that you cannot remember it at the moment. Often, when you have a word on the tip of your tongue, you can remember what letter it starts with, or what sound it ends Example Dialogs Scene 1: Two friends are talking ... Friend 1: What was the name of that mystery movie we saw last year? I can't quite remember the name.  Friend 2: Oh yeah.  It was a really good movie.  The name is on the tip of my tongue.  Friend 1: It was a strange name.  Give me a minute and I think I can recall it. Scene 2: Two colleagues are talking ... Colleague 1: Do you remember the name of that software we saw demonstrated at last year's trade show?  Colleague 2:  The one that was supposed to amalgamate all customer service help tickets?  Colleague 1:  Yes, that one. What was th...
Read more

Idiom: Behind bars

Image
  "Behind bars" Meaning The idiom 'behind bars'  means in jail or prison. If you say that someone is behind bars, you mean that they are in prison. This idiom is often used as the phrase ‘put someone behind bars.’ Related words:  in jail or prison , incarcerate, imprison, lock up Origin The idiom “ behind bars ” has been in use since the early 18th century. The word “bars” in this idiom refers to the iron bars conventionally used to confine convicted criminals in jails, prisons, or cells. Example Sentences He has spent most of his life behind bars. If you keep hanging around with the wrong crowd, you’ll end up behind bars. Until the court hearing, they will remain behind bars. Fisher was behind bars last night, charged with attempted murder. Nearly 5,000 people a year are put behind bars over motoring penalties. I heard Mike's uncle is behind bars again. I wonder what he did this time! Sir, I'm afraid your son has been put behind bars on a charge of...
Read more

Idiom: (It's) the least I (you) can/could do

Image
  "It's the least I can do." Meaning Something you should do A polite answer to someone who thanks you (and you feel or wish you could do more) A common answer to being thanked for doing something is "It's the least I could do," which is basically synonymous with "It was nothing". You use expressions like 'that's the least that I can do' to mean that you are very willing to do it, or to acknowledge someone's thanks. Example Dialogs A: "Thanks for taking me to the bus stop."  B: "You're welcome. It's the least I could do now that I have a car." A: "Thank you so much for the cookies!"  B: "It's the least we can do to repay you for looking after our pets while we were away." A:   "Thanks for cleaning up."  B:   " It's the least I can do , seeing as I'm staying here rent-free." Example Sentences If your mother cooks a special dinner the least you can d...
Read more