IdiomNature
Portuguese
Portuguesefazer uma tempestade num copo de água
Meaning: To make an excessive fuss over something trivial.
Literally: To make a storm in a glass of water
Example: “Foi só um arranhão no carro, não faças uma tempestade num copo de água.” — It's just a scratch on the car; it's a storm in a teacup.
English equivalent: A storm in a teacup
Equivalents in other languages
English: a storm in a teacup
Italian: questione di lana caprina Literally: Matter of goat's wool
French: Une guerre picrocholine Literally: A Picrocholine war- French: Une tempête dans un verre d'eau Literally: A storm in a glass of water
Origin: A storm in a glass of water is a great fuss over something tiny. The image is old: Cicero spoke of stirring up waves in a ladle (fluctus in simpulo), the French une tempête dans un verre d'eau is attributed to Montesquieu in the 18th century, and English says "a storm in a teacup." Portuguese uses the French form.
More Portuguese idioms
- dar um tiro no pé To harm oneself through one's own actions; to undermine one's own interests.
- sujo falando do mal lavado Hypocritical criticism from someone guilty of the same fault being criticized.
- pôr os pontos nos is To clarify a matter by spelling out details explicitly.
- Matar dois coelhos com uma cajadada só To get two benefits from a single effort.
- Diz o roto ao nu: porque não te vestes tu? Said when someone criticizes another for a fault they share.
- Engolir sapos To put up with unpleasant things without complaining.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- A aranha arranha a rã. A rã arranha a aranha. Contrasts the soft single r of aranha against the hard rolled rr of arranha — one letter…
- O rato roeu a roupa do rei de Roma; a rainha com raiva roeu o resto. An unstoppable 'r' trill drill — every key word begins or ends with the Portuguese r.
- Um tigre, dois tigres, três tigres tristes triscam trigo num trigal. A 'tr' cluster drill that adds a sad adjective to make the alliteration worse.
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