🏔️ Make a Mountain Out of a Molehill: Elevating the Everyday 🐁
Definition
“Make a mountain out of a molehill” means to exaggerate or blow a minor issue out of proportion. Instead of dealing with the small problem at hand, the drama unfolds, and suddenly it feels like Mt. Everest is in your backyard.
Related Terms & Expressions
- Storm in a teacup: Stirring up a big commotion about a minor issue.
- Tempest in a teapot: Another version of the above - why limit yourself to one type of crockery?
- Mountain out of a mustard seed: An even smaller, domesticated version.
- Blow things out of proportion: Self-explanatory.
- Drama Queen: Someone who excessively dramatizes their situation. Cue the eye roll.
Synonyms
- Exaggerate
- Overreact
- Amplify
- Hype up
Antonyms
- Downplay
- Understate
- Minimize
- Simplify
Quotes
- “Many people climb mountains when they could be taking the lift.” - Anonymous 🛗
- “I have a private mountain of doubt to climb every day.” - Found in the diary of an Underappreciated Overthinker 🎢
Literature, Books, and Media
- “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare - For two hours, watch how minor misunderstandings lead to major plotlines and misunderstandings.
- “Chicken Little” by Disney - The ultimate tale of turning the sky falling into the end of the world.
- “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” - Cliché adjacent, but heavy on creating mountains of molehills; this fable tells of the pitfalls of overdramatic lies.
Inspirational Closing Thought
Elevate your thinking, but not your worries. Remember, molehills may lead to mountain views, but maintaining clarity ensures you don’t gasp for breath midway.
### Which of these phrases mean to escalate a minor issue?
- [x] Make a mountain out of a molehill
- [ ] Swimming in ocean drip
- [ ] Whispering in the wilderness
- [ ] Cooking tea with steam
> **Explanation:** Only "Make a mountain out of a molehill" means to exaggerate a small problem. The others are purely fictional and just sound fancy.
### True or False: The phrase "a storm in a teacup" means to exaggerate something trivial.
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** True! "A storm in a teacup" also means to over-exaggerate a minor issue dramatically.
### Which idiom reflects similar meaning?
- [ ] Sinking a boat with pebbles
- [ ] Misplacing your shadow
- [x] Tempest in a teapot
- [ ] Shadow of a dime
> **Explanation:** "Tempest in a teapot" shares the same concept as "Making a mountain out of a molehill."
### Which one doesn't belong:
- [ ] Storm in a teacup
- [ ] Tempest in a teapot
- [x] Scaling heights with midgets
- [ ] Blowing things out of proportion
> **Explanation:** "Scaling heights with midgets" is nonsensical and does not convey exaggeration.
### Select the analogy for 'make a mountain out of a molehill':
- [ ] Lifting pebbles with forks
- [ ] Counting stars to ten
- [x] Blowing things out of proportion
- [ ] Writing poems in the wind
> **Explanation:** "Blowing things out of proportion" is a valid analogy, emphasizing exaggeration.
author: “Ella Vator”
Thank you for joining this amusing gondola ride. Remember, don’t let a molehill become Everest in your life’s map. Keep the dramatic flair where it belongs—in the theater. 🚠
