B D Finch Feb 28, 2017:

@Asker: context? Agree with Tony and polyglot45: unless you provide some more context, this does seem to be a mixed (even mangled) metaphor.

Re Daryo's point, we don't tend to use "small" in English as a figure of speech in the way "petit" is used in French. Even if such a meaning was intended, one would tend to use "little", not "small".

polyglot45 Feb 28, 2017:

seems contradictory unless they mean "enables us to progress and expand on the relatively limited concept that started the whole thing". Bizarre usage

Daryo Feb 28, 2017:

"small fact" might be just a figure of speech to mean "the apparently small fact that ..." / " the fact that initially seemed quite small ..." ?

Andrew Bramhall Feb 28, 2017:

@TM & Asker Doubt it's a ' small fact', more likely a ' basis' ( "fondement");

Tony M Feb 28, 2017:

@ Asker It really does all depend on the exact context!

In particular, what exactly is this "small fact" that started their mission? On that information will probably depend which verb you need. I imagine they have identified some problem, which cannot be solved all in one go, but what they are tryng to do is 'chip away at it' little by little.

In fact, I think they are rather mixing their metaphors here, since generally one 'chips away' at a huge, insurmountable problem — hence the association with 'small fact' seems somehow risible.