This sentiment was then satirized in Carl Guttenberg's 1778 engraving of the Tea-Tax Tempest (shown above right), where Father Time flashes a magic lantern picture of an exploding teapot to America on the left and Britannia on the right, with British and American forces advancing towards the teapot. Also Lord North, Prime Minister of Great Britain, is credited for popularizing this phrase as characterizing the outbreak of American colonists against the tax on tea. One of the earliest occurrences in print of the modern version is in 1815, where Britain's Lord Chancellor Thurlow, sometime during his tenure of 1783–1792, is quoted as referring to a popular uprising on the Isle of Man as a "tempest in a teapot". The phrase also appeared in its French form une tempête dans un verre d'eau ('a tempest in a glass of water'), to refer to the popular uprising in the Republic of Geneva near the end of the eighteenth century. Then in the early third century AD, Athenaeus, in the Deipnosophistae, has Dorion ridiculing the description of a tempest in the Nautilus of Timotheus by saying that he had seen a more formidable storm in a boiling saucepan. To improve your English language skills, or to learn more English phrases and idioms, book your English lessons now.Cicero, in the first century BC, in his De Legibus, used a similar phrase in Latin, possibly the precursor to the modern expressions, Excitabat enim fluctus in simpulo ut dicitur Gratidius, translated: "For Gratidius raised a tempest in a ladle, as the saying is". Water under the bridge – If you and your friend had an argument a few years ago, that caused problems in your friendship, but now you’ve managed to resolve your issues and become friends again, you could say that it’s water under the bridge because you have moved past it.You could also say that the person is thick-skinned. Water off a duck’s back – This expression can be used if you are saying negative comments to another person but the other person isn’t bothered by them.For example, you might water down an idea in a speech, so that it is less extreme and so that people are more likely to accept it. Water down – If you water down something, you make it weaker.you might test the waters by getting a day pass at the gym to see if you like it, rather than purchasing a yearly membership. Test the waters – If you aren’t sure that something is acceptable or will be successful, you might try it out before committing to it fully, i.e.Of the first water – If something is of the first water, it means that it is of the finest quality.you might say going shopping is not your cup of tea because it’s too busy in the shops. Not my cup of tea – This idiom means that it’s not your kind of thing you don’t like it.Not hold water – This expression refers to an explanation or argument that doesn’t seem to be correct or true.No use crying over spilt milk – This idiom means that you shouldn’t complain or regret something that has already happened, because you can’t change it.In hot water – To be in hot water means to be in trouble with someone because you have done something wrong.Hair of the dog – Hair of the dog refers to being able to cure a hangover by having another alcoholic drink, the morning after.Dutch courage – If you have a date that you are really nervous about, you might have an alcoholic drink to gain some Dutch courage, which means you will feel more confident.Drink like a fish – To drink like a fish means to drink large quantities of liquid, especially alcohol.Champagne taste on a beer budget – If someone has a champagne taste on a beer budget, it means that they like expensive things but they can’t afford it.A storm in a teacup – You might say that something was a storm in a teacup, if it created a lot of excitement or worry at the time it was happening, but then later, it turned out to be not worth worrying or being excited about.See all of our course fees or contact us today for a tailored quotation See all fees > Improve your English in our Virtual Classrooms Find out more > Provide students with a more intense English learning experience to allow for faster growth! Find out more >Ī great course for anyone who uses English in their work, or who is looking for a job in an English-speaking environment. See all coursesįocusing on the core English skills, these courses are suitable for students of all levels. British Council accredited courses ideal for students of all levels.
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