杞憂 (Kiyū)

Meaning: Unnecessary worry about things that won't happen; baseless anxiety.

Language: Japanese

Literally: Worry of Qi - fear that the sky might fall

Category: The Absurd

Origin: Ancient Chinese text about people of Qi fearing the sky would collapse.

More idioms — The Absurd

臥虎藏龍 (Wò hǔ cáng lóng) — Hidden talented individuals waiting quietly for their moment to shine.
四面楚歌 (Shimensoka) — Being surrounded by enemies with no hope of escape or support.
mad as a box of frogs — completely crazy; chaotic and unpredictable.
paint the town red — to celebrate wildly; to party extensively.
Quand les poules auront des dents — Never — it describes something that will simply never happen.
No hay tu tía — There's no way around it; nothing can be done.

傍若無人 (Bōjaku-bujin) — Behaving without regard for others' feelings or presence around you.
一期一会 (Ichi-go ichi-e) — Treasure each encounter as unique and irreplaceable in life.
鯖を読む (Saba o yomu) — To fudge the numbers in your favor, especially your age.
油を売る (Abura ouru) — To slack off or dawdle when you should be working.
高嶺の花 (Takane no hana) — Someone or something beautiful but utterly out of reach.
猫舌 (Nekojita) — Unable to handle hot food or drinks.

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