After I left, apparently a storm in a teacup broke out.

They went crazy, totally created a storm in a teacup over absolutely nothing.

DonвЂ™t start causing a storm in a teacup.

If one is in a business meeting, presenting a paper, or pitching a plan of some sort, itвЂ™s likely going to come across as unprofessional if used. Like most idioms and proverbs, this one is likely not appropriate for more academic or serious conversations. Despite this, with context, itвЂ™s still quite easy to put into practice. Speakers should keep in mind that because of the fact that it has largely fallen out of use, there are some people who arenвЂ™t going to understand what itвЂ™s referring to. ItвЂ™s a lesser-known idiom than some of the more popular examples (see below), but it can still be quite effective. It could be used among friends, family members, or even close colleagues. ItвЂ™s possible to use вЂњa storm in a teacupвЂќ in a number of different situations. They involve glasses of water, ladles, teacups, and more. There are numerous other versions of this phrase in different languages. The British English version, вЂњa storm in a teacup,вЂ™ was first recorded in 1838 in Catherine SinclairвЂ™s Modern Accomplishments. They might start out with different words arranged in a different order and then become solidified as theyвЂ™re used in everyday speech. It was later used in examples in the 3rd century with the use of the words вЂњtempestвЂќ and вЂњsaucepan.вЂќ In print, it also appeared in 1815 when then Lord Chancellor Thurlow was quoted saying that an uprising on the Isle of Man was a вЂњtempest in a teapot.вЂќДЄs is common with these phrases, they tend to evolve over time. He references it as вЂњthe saying,вЂќ suggesting that he knew it and others were already aware of it before he used it in this piece. ItвЂ™s clear that even at this time, in the first century BC, this phrase was commonly used. He wrote, вЂњExcitabat enim fluctus in simpulo ut dicitur Gratidius,вЂќ in English this reads:ДЇor Gratidius raised a tempest in a ladle, as the saying is. The phrase вЂњa storm in a teacupвЂќ is thought to have originated, in its first form, around the time of CiceroвЂ™s De Legibus. For example, if someone overreacts to a small event, they might be or cause a вЂњstorm in a teapot.вЂќ The вЂњstormвЂќ isВ a metaphor for the chaotic and dramatic action, and the вЂњteapotвЂќ is the broader situation that doesnвЂ™t warrant the storm. The phrase is commonly used when someone wants to describe something that drew way too much focus and took more energy than it shouldвЂ™ve.

It has been blown out of proportion with reality.

The idiom вЂњa storm in a teacup,вЂќ or вЂњa tempest in a teacup,вЂќ as is more common in American English, refers to an event thatвЂ™s been exaggerated.

A storm in a teacup