小题大做
- Literal
- small topic, treated big
- Figurative
- To make a mountain out of a molehill, treating a minor matter as a major one; it inflates the issue itself, unlike 大惊小怪, which is overreacting in surprise.
Where does 小题大做 come from?
It comes not from an anecdote but from the world of the imperial examinations. According to the usual explanation, in the Ming and Qing dynasties a "small topic" (小题) was a question drawn from the Four Books, set mainly in the entry-level exams, and a "big topic" (大题) one drawn from the Five Classics, in the higher exams. "Treating a small topic big" meant developing a modest question with the apparatus of a major essay. The sense turned critical: today it is a reproach to someone who gives a trivial matter an importance it does not deserve.
How is 小题大做 used? Two examples
- 不就是忘了回个消息吗？你别小题大做了。
All I did was forget to answer a message. Don't make such a big deal out of it.
- 迟到五分钟就要开全体大会点名批评，公司有点小题大做了。
Calling an all-staff meeting to criticize someone by name for being five minutes late? The company is making a bit too much of it.
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