writ small
1
9.3
- idiom
:
letra pequeña
Examples
-
To look at the family as a whole is to see a microcosm: the past 70 years of law practice in all its continuity and change writ small but clearly.
Academic text (1996) -
The terms and conditions were written writ small at the bottom of the contract, making them hard to read.
-
In this report, the important figures were writ small in footnotes, which many people overlooked.
-
The disclaimer was printed writ small on the packaging, hidden from plain view.
Synonyms
37
4.4
Small printed text in a contract that tells important rules or extra costs
5
3.8
Important details in an agreement or document printed in very small type
Very small letters on money or passports that you need a magnifying glass to read
Very small writing often used as art and hard to read
How Small
- Specialized
1
9.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
writ + small
The sense 'written in small print' is compositionally derivable if 'writ' is interpreted as the archaic past participle of 'write' (i.e. 'written') combined with 'small', so the meaning follows directly from the parts. However, 'writ' is an uncommon/archaic form and also a homonymous legal noun, which makes the construction unfamiliar and potentially misleading to B1 learners even if they know both headwords. Because the compositional logic is present but obscured by archaic morphology and ambiguity, the item is best classified as semi-transparent.
Etymology
Writ small may come from an old use of writ meaning 'written', where important words were made small on the page. So the picture of tiny print you can easily miss explains why it means 'written in small print' or 'hidden in the details'.