IdiomBody & Senses
French
FrenchSe noyer dans un verre d'eau
Meaning: To be defeated by the smallest difficulty.
Literally: To drown in a glass of water
Example: “Il panique pour un simple formulaire ; il se noie dans un verre d'eau.” — He panics over a simple form; he makes a mountain out of a molehill.
English equivalent: To make a mountain out of a molehill
Other ways to say this
- 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
Spanish: ahogarse en poca agua Literally: To drown in little water
English: make a mountain out of a molehill
Origin: The absurdity of the scale is the whole argument. French also says se noyer dans un crachat, in a spit, for people who need the point made harder.
More French idioms
- Merde ! Good luck — said to a performer before going on stage.
- Voilà pourquoi votre fille est muette Said of a grand explanation that explains nothing.
- Passez, muscade ! Hey presto — said when something vanishes suspiciously conveniently.
- Se croire le premier moutardier du pape To have a wildly inflated sense of one's own importance.
- Mystère et boule de gomme Nobody has the faintest idea.
- Promettre monts et merveilles To promise far more than could ever be delivered.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien. The classic French 'ch' / 's' tangler.
- Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches, archi-sèches? A merciless duel between 'ch' and 's'.
- Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cents scies scient six cents cyprès. An 's' / 'si' minefield.
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