"It's peanuts to me." A non-native speaker showed this to me. I don't use it myself, although I kind of understand it. If you are a native speaker, could you tell me if you use this?
"It's peanuts to me"
I think it probably means that "It's not important/significant to me."
Example:
When New York City pays a small town in the watershed area up in the Catskills $10,000,000 to replace an old sewage treatment facility, it's peanuts to New York City [compared the the $2 biillion or more cost of building a full-fledged water filtration plant, which they're trying to squirm out of.]
Example:
When New York City pays a small town in the watershed area up in the Catskills $10,000,000 to replace an old sewage treatment facility, it's peanuts to New York City [compared the the $2 biillion or more cost of building a full-fledged water filtration plant, which they're trying to squirm out of.]
I rarely use the expression, but "peanuts" refers to a small amount of money. The "to me" part indicates that it may be only a small amount to the speaker. $10,000 US is a lot of money to most people, but it's peanuts to Bill Gates.
- Kef
- Kef
She used it to mean that reading novels in English is not difficult. I thought that "a piece of cake" or "easy as pie" would be more appropriate, but I wonder if "It's peanuts to me " can even be used like this. I understand "peanuts" for "pocket change" or a small amount, but not like this.
It may be a calque from Russian meaning "It's very easy/ just a piece of cake".
<"It's peanuts to me." A non-native speaker showed this to me. I don't use it myself, although I kind of understand it. If you are a native speaker, could you tell me if you use this? >
Never. I'm poorly paid. ;-)
Never. I'm poorly paid. ;-)
I've never heard anyone in England use "its peanuts" to mean "its easy".
It's always a relatively small sum of money.
I'm paid peanuts.
It's always a relatively small sum of money.
I'm paid peanuts.
If something 'costs peanuts' in England then it is cheap, like "that round of drinks cost peanuts". 'It's peanuts to me' would also certainly be said by persons in my area to mean that it costs basically nothing. This would usually be said by some flash git who has 'a lot of wonga'. Sadly I'd never say it because I don't have 'a lot of wonga' :((
It may be a calque from Russian meaning "It's very easy/ just a piece of cake".
Ah, this is pretty interesting. She is from a slavic country, so maybe it is in her language as well. Thanks.
Ah, this is pretty interesting. She is from a slavic country, so maybe it is in her language as well. Thanks.