Region: UK | Usage example: The staff meeting turned into a storm in a teacup over a typo.

Storm in a teacup

Meaning

A lot of fuss about something insignificant.

Used to remind people not to escalate small disagreements.

Origin notes can vary by region and source; this page gives the commonly reported explanation and usage context.

19th century British columnists likened small disputes to a storm in a teacup.

Punch magazine and other Victorian humorists popularized the phrase around 1870.