tumbledry

Storm in a Teacup

The interesting source UsingEnglish.com defines “storm in a teacup”:

If someone exaggerates a problem or makes a small problem seem far greater than it really is, then they are making a storm in a teacup.

You can also say “tempest in a teapot.” I originally tried to describe it as somehow relating to making a mountain out of a molehill, but I think it’s actually just another way to say the same thing. A bit of background from Wikipedia:

The phrase is at least a century and a half old, as evidenced in the January 1838 edition of the defunct The United States Democratic Review, in an article regarding the Supreme Court.

And don’t forget, The Red Hot Chili Peppers have a song called “Storm in a Teacup” on their excellent double disk release Stadium Arcadium.

Brief Notes Nearby