teacup

vulgar slang Flipped upside down; head over heels. Primarily heard in US. My poor sister just went ass over teacup on the ice out there! I hope she isn't hurt! Finding out Bill is selling the company has turned my whole world ass over teacup—I can't believe I'm going to have to find a new job after 25 years!

an argument or disagreement over a very minor matter. The entire issue of who was to present the report was just a tempest in a teapot. The argument at the office turned into a tempest in a teacup. No one really cared about the outcome.

if you go ass over teacup, you turn upside down with your feet above your head She slipped and fell ass over teakettle down the hill.

a situation where people get very angry or worried about something that is not important (not used with the ) I think it's all a storm in a teacup - there's probably no danger to public health at all.

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.