“Make a song and dance about something”in other languages
Make an unnecessary fuss.
English
French
Russian
Same idea, different pictures
English comes from the music hall, where a “song and dance” was a showy act. Russian builds a vegetable garden, огород городить, a big project over a small matter.
French faire un pataquès began as a slip of the tongue, a wrong letter slipped between two words, and grew into any clumsy blunder or needless fuss.
More sayings in other languages
- Make one's mouth water
- Make oneself scarce
- Manna from heaven
- Mark my words
- Meet someone halfway
- Miss the boat
- Money burns a hole in someone's pocket
- Much ado about nothing
- Mum's the word