single word requests - What's the most accurate term for phrases such as "storm in a teacup" and "making mountains out of molehills"?


Are phrases such as "storm in a teacup" and "making mountains out of molehills" best described by one of these terms:



  • anecdote

  • proverb

  • saying

  • expression

  • metaphor


If not, which term is the right term? If more than one term applies (I know expression and saying are pretty general), which is the narrowest term that covers them?



Answer



Those are generally called idioms.


Many idioms, including those you used as examples, are also metaphors, which you can learn about by clicking on the link. However, not all metaphors are idioms, so metaphor would not be a good word to describe all such sayings.


Expression and saying are also used of such idioms, but, as you pointed out, those terms are more general - too general, in fact.


Proverb is also not an appropriate term to use for these idioms. A proverb is usually a complete sentence, and it always expresses general wisdom on a situation. It is not a term, as an idiom is.


Anecdote is probably the furthest off from what you want here. It basically means "a short story or historical account".


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