# Tempest in a Teapot?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tempest-in-a-teapot/342496>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 1, 2006, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tempest-in-a-teapot/342496 "2006-02-01T13:03:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tempest-in-a-teapot/342496/1 "2006-02-01T13:03:41Z")

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What does this expression mean? Better still, can you use it in a sentence to give me a clear example? Is it the cliche equivalent to stirring up a bee’s nest? - Jinx

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**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tempest-in-a-teapot/342496/2 "2006-02-01T13:10:52Z")

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It means “you’re exaggerating the problem”. Same as “making a mountain out of a molehill”.

In the UK it’s normally “storm in a teacup”.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tempest-in-a-teapot/342496/3 "2006-02-01T13:14:25Z")

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[http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:\_36MpGP4n3UJ:worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-tem1.htm+"tempest+in+a+teapot"+quinion&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1&ie=UTF-8](http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:_36MpGP4n3UJ:worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-tem1.htm+%22tempest+in+a+teapot%22+quinion&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1&ie=UTF-8)

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**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tempest-in-a-teapot/342496/4 "2006-02-01T13:15:55Z")

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It implies that some incident or circumstance is being overblown, made to be much more important than it really is. “Stiring up a bees nest” is somewhat the opposite, it means to incite an incident, to stimulate problems.  
That’s just “off the top of my head”. 🙂

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tempest-in-a-teapot/342496/5 "2006-02-01T14:33:39Z")

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“Much ado about nothing.”

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**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tempest-in-a-teapot/342496/6 "2006-02-01T14:56:16Z")

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Variation of “storm in a teacup” meaning a silly argument over a trivial point.

Y’see a teacup holds only a tiny amount of water, so a storm in a teacup is of no importance.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2006, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tempest-in-a-teapot/342496/7 "2006-02-01T14:59:30Z")

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> [@jjimm](#):
>
> In the UK it’s normally “storm in a teacup”.

I would imagine it will actually be a deliberate play/elaboration on this phrase.