bit-player

Raymond ChandlerのTROUBLE IS MY BUSINESSを読んでいます。
Finlayson picked the ejected shell off the carpet, pressed it into the magazine and snapped the magazine back in place. He handed me the gun. I put it back under my arm.
"Been out anywhere tonight?" he asked tersely.
"Don't tell me the plot," I said. "I'm just a bit-player."
"Smart guy," Sebold said dispassionately. He dusted his hair again and opened a desk drawer. "Funny stuff. Good for a column. I like 'em that way-with my blackjack."
Finlayson sighed. "Been out tonight, shamus?"
"shamus" は何度もでてくるので覚えてしまいました。今日は "bit-player" を覚えたい。
・Collins Dictionary: a person or thing with a very small part in something: Lloyds TSB are not more than a bit player in the US retail market.
・Random House Unabridged Dictionary: an actor having a very small speaking part in a play, motion picture, etc.
なるほど、小者、下っ端、端役のことですね。これなら一度で覚えられます。