Pissant.

[Buchmann]

   "Piss ants" [ also known as "grease ants"] were common in the American South,
at least before the advent of Fire Ants [ which have made life difficult for many of
their cousins ]. Farmers, hunters, fishermen, etc., who frequently urinated outdoors,
saw them often. They arrived in large numbers, following a trail, but were VERY
tiny individuals. [ One also saw them in kitchens, where they were called "grease
ants."] They were not much of a biting threat, hence TOO INSIGNIFICANT TO
BE WORRIED ABOUT even though there were very many of them.

Mark Odegard wrote:

> Following up one the 'communal peeing' thread, it occurs to me the German
> authors of that article might have been (?[un]consciously] echoing
> 'pissant'.
>
> Online MW gives 1947 for 'pissant', though I suspect it's older (and
> probably, popularized during WWII).
>
> AHD4 says it's modeled on Middle English 'pismire'; there is no date, but
> certainly it must be older than 1947 in the sense of 'an ant'. I suspect
> there is some literature out there on this item.
>
> Certain ants do generate formic acid, which has a urine-like odor, but I
> know very little about ants.
>
> I've never used 'pissant'. I think I learned it from my grandfather. The
> sense is indeed 'insignificant', but I think '*annoyingly* insignificant' is
> closer. It's close to 'mickey mouse' or 'chicken s***'.
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