The phrase "a mere drop" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize that something is very small or insignificant in comparison to a larger context or quantity.
Example: "In the grand scheme of the universe, our planet is just a mere drop in the ocean."
Alternatives: "a tiny fraction" or "a small amount".
The excellence initiative is a mere drop in the bucket.That is why Mr Jacobs's donation matters.
But the consumer end of the market is a mere drop in the ocean.
Try adding a mere drop or two of lemon or mignonnette dressing to each.
There could be at least double the number of potential victims, it's a mere drop in the ocean".
He said the nonprofit fund had raised $180,000 for residents — a mere drop in the bucket, he acknowledged.
That's above average by the standards of children's-book publishing but a mere drop in the media maelstrom.
The DRA's funds—a mere $12m drop in the 2006 federal budget are aimed at helping 240 counties in eight states, 133 of them in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.The agency is mostly staffed by people who live in the region and are eager to see change.
The same index in JHc's scheme has gone down from 585 to 246 with a 57.9% drop, while that in our method has gone down from 600 to 430 with a mere 28.3% drop.
The Kansai Institute for Social and Economic Research says a mere 5% drop in energy consumption this summer would wipe out the region's expected GDP growth of 0.5% in this fiscal year.
Meanwhile, despite anecdotal evidence that fringe attendances were drastically down in 2012, figures now reveal a mere 1% drop in ticket sales on last year.
Kenneth D. Lewis, the chief executive of Bank of America, insisted this week that the industry was turning the corner, after his company reported a mere 41percentt drop in profit.
