IdiomNature
Spanish
Spanishahogarse en poca agua
Meaning: to panic or overreact to a minor problem.
Literally: To drown in little water
Example: “Se ahoga en poca agua: perdió el autobús y canceló el viaje entero.” — He makes a mountain out of a molehill: he missed the bus and canceled the whole trip.
English equivalent: To make a mountain out of a molehill
Equivalents in other languages
French: En faire tout un fromage Literally: To make a whole cheese out of it
Russian: Делать из мухи слона (Delat' iz mukhi slona) Literally: To make an elephant out of a fly- French: Faire d'une mouche un éléphant Literally: To make an elephant out of a fly
Arabic: يعمل من الحبة قبة (Ya'mal min al-ḥabba qubba) Literally: To build a dome out of a seed
Czech: Dělat z komára velblouda Literally: To make a camel out of a mosquito
Romanian: A face din țânțar armăsar Literally: To make a stallion out of a mosquito
Turkish: Pireyi deve yapmak Literally: To make a camel out of a flea
English: make a mountain out of a molehill- French: Se noyer dans un verre d'eau Literally: To drown in a glass of water
Origin: Drowning in shallow water is the absurd fate of someone overwhelmed by a trivial difficulty. The RAE dictionary lists the phrase, and Spanish also says ahogarse en un vaso de agua (to drown in a glass of water), the same image as French se noyer dans un verre d'eau. No particular story lies behind it.
More Spanish idioms
- morder el polvo to be defeated or to die.
- dale que te pego relentlessly; without stopping or holding back.
- tira y afloja a back-and-forth negotiation or struggle where each side gives and takes.
- como pez en el agua perfectly at ease in a situation; in one's natural element.
- de pitiminí something trivial or of insignificant value.
- no haber color there is no comparison; one option is vastly superior to another.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
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- Pablito clavó un clavito, ¿qué clavito clavó Pablito? A bouncy drill on the 'cl' cluster.
- Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal. A relentless run on the 'tr' sound.
- El cielo está enladrillado, ¿quién lo desenladrillará? A brutal test of the rolled 'r' and 'l'.
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