a storm in a teapot

A disproportionate reaction of anger, concern, or displeasure over some minor or trivial matter. (A less common variant of "a tempest in a teacup/teapot.") If you ask me, these protests are nothing but a storm in a teapot that's been stoked by a media campaign of misinformation. I really think you're making a storm in a teapot over this. It's just a tiny scratch on the car! A: "Does anyone know why Al's so upset?" B: "Oh, it's just the usual storm in a teapot—someone ate his leftovers again."

a tempest in a teapot

A disproportionate reaction of anger, concern, or displeasure over some minor or trivial matter. If you ask me, these protests are nothing but a tempest in a teapot that's been stoked by a media campaign of misinformation. I really think you're making a tempest in a teapot over this. It's just a tiny scratch on the car! A: "Does anyone know why Al's so upset?" B: "Oh, it's just the usual tempest in a teapot—someone ate his leftovers again."

as much use as a chocolate teapot

Utterly useless or ineffectual (because pouring boiling water into a chocolate teapot would melt it). That umbrella is stuck inside out, so it's about as much use as a chocolate teapot right now. Until the power comes back on, all those microwaveable meals we got are about as much use as a chocolate teapot. This government subsidy scheme is about as much use as a chocolate teapot. They are offering a $100 rebate for affected businesses, when most of them are going to be tens of thousands of dollars in the red.

as useful as a chocolate teapot

Utterly useless or ineffectual (because pouring boiling water into a chocolate teapot would melt it). This umbrella is stuck inside out, so it's about as useful as a chocolate teapot right now. Until the power comes back on, all those microwaveable meals we got are about as useful as a chocolate teapot. This government subsidy scheme is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. They are offering a $100 rebate for affected businesses, when most of them are going to be tens of thousands of dollars in the red.

be as much use as a chocolate teapot

To be utterly useless or ineffectual (because pouring boiling water into a chocolate teapot would melt it). That umbrella is stuck inside out, so it's about as much use as a chocolate teapot right now. Until the power comes back on, all those microwaveable meals we got are about as much use as a chocolate teapot. This government subsidy scheme is about as much use as a chocolate teapot. They are offering a $100 rebate for affected businesses, when most of them are going to be tens of thousands of dollars in the red.

one for the (tea)pot

An extra teaspoon of tea leaves added to a teapot. Customarily, this accompanies a teaspoon of tea leaves for each person who will be drinking from the teapot. One for you, one for me, and one for the teapot. Now, can you get the teacups down while I boil the kettle?

smash the teapot

To resume drinking alcohol after a time of sobriety. The "teapot" here is likely a reference to the term "teetotaler"—one who does not drink alcohol. A: "But Paul's been sober for years. Has he really smashed the teapot?" B: "Yes! I saw him drunkenly stumbling out of the pub last night."

tempest in a teacup

and tempest in a teapot

an argument or disagreement over a very minor matter. The entire issue of who was to present the report was just a tempest in a teapot. The argument at the office turned into a tempest in a teacup. No one really cared about the outcome.

tempest in a teapot

Also, tempest in a teacup. A great disturbance or uproar over a matter of little or no importance. For example, All that because a handful of the thousand invited guests didn't show up? What a tempest in a teapot! This expression has appeared in slightly different forms for more than 300 years. Among the variations are storm in a cream bowl, tempest in a glass of water, and storm in a hand-wash basin. The British prefer storm in a teacup. The current American forms were first recorded in 1854. For a synonym, see much ado about nothing.

a tempest in a teapot

AMERICAN

If you describe a situation or an argument as a tempest in a teapot, you mean that people are very angry or upset about it, but it is not really important and will soon be over. He said that the argument over the painting was a tempest in a teapot. He believed that the agency's clash with the company was, in effect, a tempest in a teapot and that they would take appropriate action to calm the agency. Note: The usual British expression is a storm in a teacup.

tempest in a teapot, a

A storm over a trifle; much ado about nothing. This expression has appeared in slightly varying forms for hundreds of years—a storm in a cream bowl (1678 letter from the duke of Ormond to the earl of Arlington), a tempest in a glass of water (the grand duke Paul of Russia, ca. 1790), a storm in a hand-wash basin (Lord Thurlow, ca. 1830), and, throughout much of the nineteenth century, a storm in a teacup (still preferred in Britain). In the twentieth century it changed to its present form, at least in America.