Example: Hun ruzie was echt maar een storm in een glas water.
Definition
"Een storm in een glas water" is a Dutch expression meaning a great fuss or commotion over something insignificant or minor, similar to the English phrase 'a storm in a teacup.' It describes situations where the reaction is disproportionately large compared to the actual issue.
Translations
a storm in a teacup
una tormenta en un vaso de agua
una tempesta en un got d'aigua
une tempête dans un verre d'eau
ein Sturm im Wasserglas
una tempesta in un bicchiere d'acqua
uma tempestade em copo d'água
Etymology
The phrase "een storm in een glas water" literally translates to 'a storm in a glass of water.' It originates from the idea that a storm, which is a powerful and chaotic event, cannot realistically occur inside a small glass of water. This expression has been used in Dutch to humorously highlight exaggerated reactions to trivial matters.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Een storm in een glas water" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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a storm in a teacup