تمخض الجبل فولد فأرا (tamakhaḍa al-jabalu fa-walada fa'ran)
Meaning: A huge fuss producing a tiny result.
Language: Arabic
Literally: The mountain went into labour and gave birth to a mouse
Category: Animals
Origin: A classical image, widespread in Arabic, of an enormous build-up ending in something laughably small.
More idioms — Animals
- مرغ همسایه غاز است (morgh-e hamsāye ghāz ast) — The grass is always greener next door.
- A umbla cu cioara vopsită — To try to deceive people with falsehoods.
- Ići niz dlaku — To go smoothly and agreeably.
- Að fara í geitarhús að leita ullar — To seek something where it can't possibly be found.
- So skaars soos hoendertande — Extremely rare; almost non-existent.
- آستین کا سانپ (aasteen ka saanp) — A treacherous false friend.
More Arabic idioms
- يضرب في حديد بارد (yadrib fi hadid barid) — To waste effort on a hopeless task.
- القرد بعين أمه غزال (al-qird bi-ʿayn ummihi ghazāl) — Parents see their children as beautiful no matter what.
- اللي ما يعرف الصقر يشويه (illi ma yaʿrif al-ṣaqr yishwīh) — Failing to recognize something valuable and destroying it.
- على قد لحافك مد رجليك (ʿalā qadd liḥāfik midd rijlayk) — Live within your means.
- رمى بنفسه في التهلكة (ramā bi-nafsihi fī at-tahluka) — Someone deliberately puts themselves in danger or a hopeless situation through recklessne…
- أكل العيش والملح مع شخص (Akal al-'aysh wal-milh ma'a shakhs) — Shared intimate bond or deep friendship forged through shared hardship and simple living…
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