(Miriling) wrote in message
...
On 1 April 2004 (PBusw13724) wrote in
Message-id:
Nick Bourbaki:
'A tempest in a teacup' is the more familiar expression.

Mr Bourbaki: I am wary about challenging you on a matter of language, in
view of yiur obvious erudition on such matters, but I take issue on this.
I cannot speak for other parts of the English-speaking world, but I assert
with complete confidence that 'storm in a teacup' is by far the more common
usage in England, to the extent that 'tempest in a teacup' would sound
decidedly out of place, indeed precious. I write as a native speaker of
English resident in south-east England all my life, and reasonably well
travelled elsewhere in England. I note in corroboration that Google
offers me 11,700 for 'storm' in this usage but only 3,200 for 'tempest'.

Personally, I can hardly recall (probably because I was not paying attention)
ever hearing either 'a storm in a teacup' or 'a tempest in a teapot' or any
variant of those phrases in contemporary speech.

According to the scholarly Oxford English Dictionary, Mr. Buswell is correct.

I did not have the Oxford English Dictionary at hand when I wrote earlier.
My reference source was this UK webpage, 'Phrase Finder' on 'Tea-related
phrases', which mentioned 'tempest in a teapot' as derived from 'tempest
in a teacup' (from 1857 or earlier):

http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_bo...sages/315.html

At first, I did not notice that the UK webpage was citing an American
reference book, 'Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins' (1997).

"A storm in a teacup" is the more common phrase, especially in England.

It's interesting that two American readers in this thread, Jerome Bibuld
and 'drahmiel', had never heard of the phrase, 'a storm in a teacup'.

Here are some citations from the Oxford English Dictionary:

"1900: Here the storm in the Oxford tea-cup raged as furiously as in
the open sea."

"1896: What a ridiculous tea-pot tempest!"

As far as I can tell, there seems to be another trans-Atlantic division in
'familiar English phrases'. 'A storm in a teacup' in the United Kingdom seems
to have the same meaning as 'a tempest in a teapot' in the United States.

--Nick

Dear Nick,

Heil Dubya!

I'll buy "another trans-Atlantic division on 'familiar English phrases.'"

As they say in France, "Ecco la vita."

As far as I can tell, there seems to be another trans-Atlantic division in
'familiar English phrases'. 'A storm in a teacup' in the United Kingdom seems
to have the same meaning as 'a tempest in a teapot' in the United States.

--Nick


(Much snipped.)

Heute Uhmuhrikkka, Afghanistan, Irak und Haïti. Morgen die ganze Welt!

Uhmuhrikkka, Uhmuhrikkka über Alles!

(The more information that comes out about the attacks on the Twin Towers and
the Pentagon of 11 September 2001 the more it appears that those attacks were
organized by the rulers of the United States and were intended to have the same
effect on the people of the United States that the Reichstag fire had on the
people of Germany in 1933.)

Fight terrorism! Dissolve the CIA and disarm the Pentagon! (I have been
watching the hearings of the Commission to investigate the attacks on the Twin
Towers and the Pentagon of 11 September 2001. As a result, I have become
convinced that every one of the witnesses and their four Presidents - and every
one of the Commissioners - should be tried for:
(1. Conspiracy to commit terrorism; and/or
(2. Commission of terrorist acts; and/or
(3. Conspiracy to commit murder; and/or
(4. Commission of murder; and/or
(5. Treason; and/or
(6. Suborning one or more of the above acts.)

Fraternally,

Jerry Bibuld
gens una sumus

ospam (Jerome Bibuld) wrote in message ...
Dear Nick,
I'll buy "another trans-Atlantic division on 'familiar English phrases.'"
As they say in France, "Ecco la vita."

Dear Mr Bibuld,

As *who* says, 'Ecco la vita', in France? Italians? :-)

--Nick

As far as I can tell, there seems to be another trans-Atlantic division in
'familiar English phrases'. 'A storm in a teacup' in the United Kingdom seems
to have the same meaning as 'a tempest in a teapot' in the United States.
--Nick

Dear Nick,

Heil Dubya!

That's a point well to be considered. Shoould I have said, as they say in
Italy,
"Asi es la vida"?

(Jerome Bibuld) wrote in message
...
Dear Nick,
I'll buy "another trans-Atlantic division on 'familiar English phrases.'"
As they say in France, "Ecco la vita."

Dear Mr Bibuld,

As *who* says, 'Ecco la vita', in France? Italians? :-)

--Nick

As far as I can tell, there seems to be another trans-Atlantic division in
'familiar English phrases'. 'A storm in a teacup' in the United Kingdom
seems
to have the same meaning as 'a tempest in a teapot' in the United States.
--Nick


Subj: APCT-EMQ-16
Date: 2004-04-03 1:31:41 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Chessphoto
To:



Subj: APCT-EMQ-16
Date: 2004-03-31 11:28:08 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Chessphoto
To:



O'Keefe:

Heil Dubya!

[Event "APCT-EMQ-16"]
[Site "Email"]
[Date "2004.03.05"]
[White "Bibuld, Jerome (USA)"]
[Black "O'Keefe, Michael (USA)"]
[Result "*"]
[White Rating "1524"]
[Black Rating "2019"]

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nge2 Nf6 6.0-0 0-0 7.d3 d6 8.h3 Nd7 9.f4
a6 10.g4 e6 11.Ng3 Qc7 12.f5 b5 13.Nce2 Bb7 14.g5 gxf5 15.exf5 Be5 16.f6

Rcvd: 2iv04; Sent: 3iv04 (within 24 hours)
Time: BJ = 0/0; O'KM: 1/16

Heute Uhmuhrikkka, Afghanistan, Irak und Haïti. Morgen die ganze Welt!

Uhmuhrikkka, Uhmuhrikkka über Alles!

(The more information that comes out about the attacks on the Twin Towers and
the Pentagon of 11 September 2001 the more it appears that those attacks were
organized by the rulers of the United States and were intended to have the same
effect on the people of the United States that the Reichstag fire had on the
people of Germany in 1933.)

Fight terrorism! Dissolve the CIA and disarm the Pentagon! (I have been
watching the hearings of the Commission to investigate the attacks on the Twin
Towers and the Pentagon of 11 September 2001. As a result, I have become
convinced that every one of the witnesses and their four Presidents - and every
one of the Commissioners - should be tried for:
(1. Conspiracy to commit terrorism; and/or
(2. Commission of terrorist acts; and/or
(3. Conspiracy to commit murder; and/or
(4. Commission of murder; and/or
(5. Treason; and/or
(6. Suborning one or more of the above acts.)

Jerry Bibuld
gens una sumus