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Origin documented
“Pint-sized”
What it means
Small, usually said of a person affectionately.
Where it comes from
An imperial pint is 568 millilitres, and the glass that holds it is a familiar object of a known size in every British hand.
How sure are we?
Twentieth century, and it works precisely because the pint is the one volume every British adult can picture without thinking. No other unit would carry the same instant sense of scale.