Francophonie· easy

se noyer dans un verre d'eau

to drown oneself in a glass of water

Meaning

to be completely overwhelmed by a tiny problem

Explanation

Said of someone who panics over next to nothing, treating a minor hiccup like a full blown crisis.

Example

Calme-toi, tu te noies dans un verre d'eau pour un simple retard de train.

Calm down, you're making far too much of a simple train delay.

Origin

The French Academy recorded it back in 1718, first in a conditional form suggesting someone so luckless they'd manage to drown even in a small glass of water. It settled into today's sense of getting flustered by the smallest setback.

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