tempest in a teapot
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English
Etymology
Attested since 1838. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.
Pronunciation
Audio (General Australian): (file)
Noun
tempest in a teapot (plural tempests in teapots)
- (idiomatic) A major fuss over a trivial matter.
- The media frenzy over the actor's drunken behavior was a tempest in a teapot.
Usage notes
- This is by far the most common of the various forms of the idiom in the US, and the most common form overall.
Synonyms
- much ado about nothing
- storm in a teacup (British), and its variants storm in a tea-kettle, storm in a glass of water, and storm in a teapot
- tempest in a teacup, tempest in a tea-kettle
Translations
big fuss made in a small context
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See also
References
- tempest in a teacup in the Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
- "storm in a teacup," Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster (2002).