much ado about nothing
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much ado about nothing
A lot of commotion or excitement over something insignificant. This really isn't a big deal—it's all much ado about nothing.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
much ado about nothing
Cliché a furor over something unimportant. (The name of a Shakespeare play.) All this arguing is much ado about nothing.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
much ado about nothing
A big fuss over a trifle, as in Jerry had everyone running around looking for his gloves-much ado about nothing. Although this expression is best remembered as the title of Shakespeare's comedy, the phrase much ado was already being used for a big commotion or trouble in the early 1500s.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
much ado about nothing
JOURNALISMIf you describe a situation as much ado about nothing, you mean that people are making a lot of fuss about something which is not very important. French newspapers described the international row as `Much Ado About Nothing'. After one year, I dropped out of the course because it was much ado about nothing really. It was all about style, not about content. Note: `Much Ado About Nothing' is the title of a play by Shakespeare.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
much ado about nothing
A commotion over a trifle; a tempest in a teapot. It is best remembered as Shakespeare’s title for a comedy, but the term was already known by the time he used it. The noun ado, meaning “a big fuss,” survives largely in this cliché.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer