one-horse town

Etymology
The term “one-horse” originated as an agricultural phrase, meaning ‘to be drawn/worked by a single horse.’ This led to the use of this phrase in a metaphorical sense as something that is small or insignificant. Charles Dickens explained in his publication All the Year Round (1871): ‘One horse’ is an agricultural phrase, applied to anything small or insignificant, or to any inconsiderable or contemptible person: as a ‘one-horse town,’ a ‘one-horse bank,’ a ‘one-horse hotel,’ a ‘one-horse lawyer’, [etc.]

Noun

 * 1)  A very small town, especially one of a rural nature and/or offering very few or no attractions.

Translations

 * Finnish:
 * French: bled paumé
 * German:
 * Russian: заштатный го́род, захолустный го́род, ,
 * Spanish:
 * Swedish: ,