THE FIRST WORD

penny-ante

PRONUNCIATION:

(PEN-ee AN-tee) 

MEANING:

adjective: Trivial.
noun: A transaction involving very small sums.

ETYMOLOGY:

In poker, penny ante is a game in which the bet is one cent (or other small amount). The term is coined from penny (the smallest denomination of currency) + ante (stake, share, cost), from the stake put up by a player in poker before receiving one's cards, from Latin ante- (before). Earliest documented use: 1855.

USAGE:

"By Bernie Madoff standards, Conrad Black's crimes are not just on the small side. They're penny-ante."
Bryan Burrough; The Convictions Of Conrad Black; Vanity Fair (New York); Oct 2011.