tempest in a teapot

Idioms  

1. Also, tempest in a teacup. A great disturbance or uproar over a matter of little or no importance. For example, All that because a handful of the thousand invited guests didn't show up? What a tempest in a teapot! This expression has appeared in slightly different forms for more than 300 years. Among the variations are storm in a cream bowl, tempest in a glass of water, and storm in a hand-wash basin. The British prefer storm in a teacup. The current American forms were first recorded in 1854. For a synonym, see much ado about nothing.

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Example Sentences

Is it just another tempest in a teapot?

From Salon • Oct. 28, 2024

So is all of this a, well, tempest in a teapot?

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2024

“This is a tempest in a teapot and another cheap shot at these people because of who they work for.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 5, 2022

If you’re not following the Android blogs, you might say this is a tempest in a teapot.

From The Verge • Aug. 8, 2019

He sought even then to avoid me, thinking probably I might prove a tempest in a teapot, and make a terrible scene.

From The Harvest of Years by Ewell, Martha Lewis Beckwith