Modul 5: Idiom 49: Make a Mountain out of a Molehill

Make a Mountain out of a Molehill

Hi. Let’s take a look at the Idiom, ‘Make a *mountain out of a *molehill.’ When you make a mountain out of a molehill, you exaggerate the seriousness of a situation. Think about it. Mountains are huge, right? And I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a molehill before, but they are usually very very small, compared to mountains anyway! So the saying is, don’t make a huge deal out of a small issue. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.

So, what is the origin of this idiom?

The idiom has been used since Nicolas Udall wrote a translation of an old text. It read, “The Sophists of Greece could through their copiousness make an elephant of a fly and a mountain of a molehill.” This was the first written reference to the comparison of mountains and molehills. Before this, there were other references of ‘make an elephant of a fly,’ meaning the same thing as ‘make a mountain out of a molehill’ but it wasn’t until Udall’s translation that people had heard of ‘making a mountain out of a molehill’ and it rapidly caught on as an idiom.

Take a look at our illustration.

The man inside the mountain is Nicolas Udall. Does he look happy? Not particularly. He looks a little concerned – worried -, doesn’t he? People who make mountains out of molehills are usually worried for little reason. Can you see the molehill next to him with the *mole climbing out of it? The mountain has been made right on top of it. What is poking out from behind the mountain? It’s an elephant. And we can also see a fly. They are there to remind us that the phrase Mountain out of a Molehill originates from the older phrase ‘Elephant out of a Fly’ meaning the same thing.

Here are some examples before we go to the concept questions…

“He has a tiny scratch on his knee, and he’s crying his eyes out making a mountain out of a molehill.”

“You need to stop making a mountain out of a molehill because you sound ridiculous!”

“I’m not making a mountain out of a molehill, Darren! Kelly hasn’t been home since yesterday morning, and we haven’t heard from her!”

“Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill mum, but I fell off my bike. I’m fine though, you don’t need to worry.”

“You aren’t making a mountain out of a molehill, this is a big deal! I can’t believe she’s breaking up with you!”

 Let’s look at some situations and check your understanding: 

1. Arthur had left the top off of the toothpaste again.  “That’s one of the worst things ever!” said his wife angrily.  Was she making a mountain out of a molehill?  Yes. Whilst it may be annoying to find the end of the toothpaste is dry, there are far worse things.
2. Nick was at the *court awaiting a sentence from the judge for robbing a bank. A sentence is a punishment given by a *court, it’s like 2 years in prison, that kind of thing. “Before I pass sentence, have you got anything to say for yourself?” asked the judge. “Yes, I think you’re making a mountain out of a molehill,” replied Nick.  Was the judge making a mountain out of a molehill?  No. Robbing a bank is a terrible crime.
3. Leslie was driving his family to their holiday home. He had only gone a short distance when the traffic lights turned red, so he had to stop.  “Unbelievable!”  moaned Leslie. “We’ll probably get caught at all the traffic lights.”  Was Leslie making a mountain out of a molehill?  Yes.  The lights would turn green again in a couple of minutes, and it’s unlikely that he’d get stopped at every traffic light.
4. Derek and Angelica have just had a cream carpet fitted.  Their son Peter accidentally spilt a large tin of red paint all over it.  “Oh no!  The carpet’s ruined!” cried Angelica.  Was Angelica making a mountain out of a molehill?  No.  Replacing the carpet would cost a lot of money.
5. James wanted a biscuit with his tea.  He accidentally dropped the biscuit tin as he took it off the shelf.  When he opened it, he found all the biscuits were broken.  “Oh great!” he said. “They’re not worth eating now.” (They aren’t good enough to eat!)  Was James making a mountain out of a molehill?  Yes.  The biscuits were broken, but they would still taste the same. 

Great. Now go and practise. See you soon.