spit in the ocean

spit in the ocean

A tiny or inconsequential amount, especially when compared to a much larger one. I'm glad Tony is ready to start repaying the money he borrowed from me, but the five dollars he gave me yesterday is just spit in the ocean compared to what he still owes. I appreciate your donation, but with how much these repairs will cost, a couple hundred bucks is spit in the ocean.
See also: ocean, spit
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

spit in the ocean

An inconsequential amount. The image is a single expelled moist mouthful being nothing compared to the entirely watery content of the Atlantic or Pacific. A similar phrase is “a drop in the bucket.”
See also: ocean, spit
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
See also:
  • a drop in the bucket
  • a drop in the ocean
  • drop in a bucket
  • drop in the bucket
  • drop in the ocean
  • budget dust
  • chump change
  • small beer
  • small potatoes
  • pay back
References in periodicals archive
The amount of assets we were dealing with was a spit in the ocean compared to the trillions passing through major financial institutions, and yet we were subject to many of the same stringent regulations in safeguarding that money.
And lead us not into temptation