For these two terms for errors in natural speech (or if you prefer, modes of original linguistic inventiveness) we have the fictional “Mrs Malaprop” and the real life “Reverend Spooner” to thank. The chances are most folk with a passing interest in words and language have come across the odd Malapropism and Spoonerism in their travels. In another situation, a narrator might comment on how a “storm in a teacup” is occurring and then pass judgment on how the events of the scene came to pass.“Arfur D” Malapropising (Photo: ITV/Scope) One might tell the other that they’ve caused a “storm in a teacup” or that they blew things out of proportion. This phrase might be used in a dialogue between two characters, one of whom is blaming the other for throwing a fit over something that doesn’t matter. Many idioms are dependent on a writer’s or speaker’s ability to have them make sense within the structure of their speech. Especially if, when it’s used, the context does not reveal its meaning. Its meaning is likely going to be allusive to those who have never heard it before.

As noted above, this phrase is less commonly used than some more popular idioms. Writers use “a storm in a teacup” in the same way and for the same reasons that it’s used in everyday conversations. Why Do Writers Use “A storm in a teacup?”

Every time she comes here she causes a storm in a teacup.

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

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

Don’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, it’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, it’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 aren’t going to understand what it’s referring to.

It’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. It’s possible to use “a storm in a teacup” 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, “a storm in a teacup,’ was first recorded in 1838 in Catherine Sinclair’s Modern Accomplishments. They might start out with different words arranged in a different order and then become solidified as they’re used in everyday speech. It was later used in examples in the 3rd century with the use of the words “tempest” and “saucepan.” 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 “tempest in a teapot.”Īs is common with these phrases, they tend to evolve over time.

He references it as “the saying,” suggesting that he knew it and others were already aware of it before he used it in this piece. It’s clear that even at this time, in the first century BC, this phrase was commonly used. He wrote, “Excitabat enim fluctus in simpulo ut dicitur Gratidius,” in English this reads:įor Gratidius raised a tempest in a ladle, as the saying is. The phrase “a storm in a teacup” is thought to have originated, in its first form, around the time of Cicero’s De Legibus. For example, if someone overreacts to a small event, they might be or cause a “storm in a teapot.” The “storm” is a metaphor for the chaotic and dramatic action, and the “teapot” is the broader situation that doesn’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 should’ve. It has been blown out of proportion with reality. The idiom “a storm in a teacup,” or “a tempest in a teacup,” as is more common in American English, refers to an event that’s been exaggerated.

Storm in a teacup etymology