tempest



a tempest in a teakettle

A disproportionate reaction of anger, concern, or displeasure over some minor or trivial matter. (A less common variant of "a tempest in a teacup/teapot.") If you ask me, these protests are nothing but a tempest in a teakettle that's been stoked by a media campaign of misinformation. I really think you're making a tempest in a teakettle over this. It's just a tiny scratch on the car!
See also: teakettle, tempest

tempest in a teacup

 and tempest in a teapot
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.
See also: teacup, tempest

a tempest in a teapot

  (American)
a situation where people get very angry or worried about something that is not important (not used with the ) The whole affair is just a tempest in a teapot. In a couple of months everyone will have forgotten about it.
See also: teapot, tempest

tempest in a teapot

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.
See also: teapot, tempest

tempest in a

teacup/teapot
A great disturbance or uproar over a matter of little or no importance.
See also: tempest

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Gold[gəuld]
Placido-Italian
Dominicusdo-MEE-nee-kus (Dutch)Late Roman, Dutch
Babs[bæbz]
LindaLIN-də (English), LIN-dah (German), LEEN-dah (Italian, Finnish)English, Dutch, German, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, French, Latvian, Finnish, Hu
Lucinaloo-SEEN-ə (English)Roman Mythology