Tempête dans un verre d’eau : fuss about very little
Tempête dans un crachat : fuss about even less than that! 
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excellent… thus we can use it for…
a lot of fuss about nothing at all…
storm in a teacup…
stuff and nonsense…
etc
Not really. It seems to be nothing than a storm in a teacup but one that has touched a raw nerve.
Ah, now that one I’ve actually encountered before.
Idiom is great - it can appear to be illogical but often that’s because the meaning of the components has faded from memory, sometimes enhanced by warping of phonetics brought on by the passage of time.
Hoist by one’s own petard is a (Shakespearian) favourite of mine - many people know it means to come to misfortune by one’s own hand but fewer would remember that a “petard” is an Elizabethan word for a small explosive device (same root as péter = “to fart”) and hoist (originally past participle of hoise) - to lift up and remove.
I was going to say “come a cropper” by one’s own hand - but then I realised that explaining one idiom by resort to another could quickly become a very deep rabbit hole indeed. 
A pétard is still a banger (and by extension a joint because of the shape and then if you have smoked one you are pêté) you used to be able to buy them in all sorts of shops, even sports shops, many happy hours of my youth and practically all my pocket-money were spent on bangers, the single ones and the ribambelles of tiny ones that sound like mini machine-guns.
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and you can still buy them in my tabac but keep them away from that crachin 
and as for the other pétards, I don’t sell them yet but if they ever get round to changing the law I’ll be selling “shit” in my shop ! 
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Exactly Paul, WTF this has to do with going to bed early?
Are you reading French & coming up with your own conclusion? Which would be worrying!
Or is it a lightly veiled treat? 
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Just the wonderful variety of idioms.
The chickens one is at least fairly self-explanatory.
I’m not sure about “other cats to whip” though.
Here are a few more:
se prendre un rateau
se faire faux bond
Well perhaps next time you can think a little more carefully before posting such personal comments. Thanks.
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We used to be able to buy metal bombs in which you put a cap from a strip and when you dropped it it went bang!
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The delight of being reminded of stuff we’ve even forgotten that we’ve forgotten! 
It was an observation using information that has been made public. I actually found it an interesting example of how different people view everyday things. Don’t worry, I won’t make that mistake again!
Yes, I have mentioned my possible Asperger’s previously.
However yours was an inaccurate observation, and one which I still do not think is supported by the opening posts in this thread. Then making a statement about my behaviour and the reasons for it crosses the boundary into personal comments.
Had you, say, said something like “Paul, you’ve mentioned that you might have Asperger’s, do you think this makes you prefer the literal over the idiomatic” - that would have been an excellent question (the answer, as you might by now realise, would be “no”).
I try to avoid ad hominem attacks - I certainly don’t recall ever making a personal comment about you (we have disagreed, which is different), I don’t think it unreasonable to wish to not be on the receiving end.
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Well, folks… tomorrow is looking good. The Old Folks’ Christmas Party… about 6 hours of chatter, laughter and frivolities in between the 5 courses on the Menu…
so far, I have my phrases… about the weather… and… a storm in a teacup (which can be applied to Brexit (?) and H&M)… I think I shall be drinking a little more than usual to get me through the day.
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“trop mimi” = “how cute” (?) @vero please confirm… 
I know… trop mignon, trop beau… already… but a friend has thrown “mimi” into the mix…
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trop mimi. Mrs Wozza says that sometimes
fair enough… it does mean what I think then… a French pal made the remark…and I “assumed” its meaning which seemed to fit the bill…
Don’t really know never thought about it, but usually referring to something nice or cute. I’ve also heard “trop chou”.
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