could be written on the back of a postage stamp

cliché Of information, very small, finite, or limited in amount or scope; able to fit in a very small space when written down (because there is very little content). Said especially of someone's knowledge about something. I am definitely going to fail this test—everything I know about Victorian poetry could be written on the back of a postage stamp! How on earth can I get a job when all of my work experience could be written on the back of a postage stamp? My grandfather came from a period in time when the amount of training spent on worker safety could have been written on the back of a postage stamp.

See also: back, could, of, on, postage, stamp, written

could fit on the back of a postage stamp

cliché Of information, very small, finite, or limited in amount or scope; able to fit in a very small space when written down (because there is very little content). Said especially of someone's knowledge about something. I am definitely going to fail this test—everything I know about Victorian poetry could fit on the back of a postage stamp! How on earth can I get a job when all of my work experience could fit on the back of a postage stamp? My grandfather came from a period in time when the amount of training spent on worker safety could fit on the back of a postage stamp.

See also: back, could, fit, of, on, postage, stamp

fit on the back of a postage stamp

To occupy only a very small space when written down (because there is very little content). Said of information that is very small, finite, or limited in amount or scope, usually someone's knowledge about something. I am definitely going to fail this test—what I know about Victorian poetry could fit on the back of a postage stamp! How on earth can I get a job when all of my work experience fits on the back of a postage stamp? My grandfather came from a period in time when the amount of training spent on worker safety could have fit on the back of a postage stamp.

See also: back, fit, of, on, postage, stamp

on the back of a postage stamp

In a very small space. Used to indicate an extremely limited or meager amount of knowledge about something. Why did they sit me next to a poetry professor at the wedding? Everything I know about poetry could fit on the back of a postage stamp! No one takes him seriously; he could write what he knows about socioeconomics on the back of a postage stamp.

postage and handling

The costs involved with packaging something and delivering it through the postal system. The gadget is just $59.99, plus $9.99 for postage and handling. The postage and handling was more expensive than the thing I bought!

postage and handling

charges for shipping [something] and for wrapping and handling the item. The cost of the book was quite reasonable, but the postage and handling was outrageous. They did not charge postage and handling because I prepaid the order.

on the back of a postage stamp

If you say that everything someone knows about a subject could be written on the back of a postage stamp, you mean they know very little about it. What she knew about children would have fitted on the back of a postage stamp.