Word of the day: picayune

The word of the day is picayune:

Etymology:  < French regional (southern, especially Savoy) picaillon, pécaillon, picayonorig. and chiefly U.S. (1643 as †picailloux in a Lyonnais source, denoting a small coin of foreign origin; compare French picaillons (plural), a slang term for ‘money, cash’ (1746 or earlier in this sense)) and its etymon Occitan picalhon, denoting a Savoyan-Piedmontese coin (see note), and in the extended sense ‘money’, of uncertain origin, probably < Occitan piquar to ring (bells), to knock, strike (1509; of imitative origin) + a suffix, the coins being so named because they would jingle in the pocket.
A. n.1.a. Originally, in southern United States, esp. Louisiana: a Spanish half-real. In later use: a 5-cent piece or other coin of little value. Now hist. 
b. colloq. A very small or the least amount of money, wealth, etc. Chiefly in negative contexts, as not worth a picayune, etc. 
2. colloq. A worthless or contemptible person; a trivial or unimportant matter or thing
3. With the: that which is picayune. 
B. adj.  Of little value; paltry, petty, trifling; unimportant, trivial; mean; contemptible. (OED)

"On a day that would be known as the Father’s Day Massacre, he vetoed eighty-two bills.  Perry had been a nonentity during the session, and few Texas politicians had heard his views on any of the pending bills...  The reasons that Perry gave for targeting many bills were picayune, and his vetoes seemed personally directed at lawmakers, of both parties, who had fallen from his favor.  The long-term effect was that Perry got the respect, or the fear, that he sought."

 - Lawrence Wright, "A different kind of Texan", 29 August 2011 The New Yorker