Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Polish term or phrase:
Wróblem wyleci, wołem wróci
English translation:
Making a mountain out of a molehill
- The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2017-03-07 19:54:07 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)
Mar 4, 2017 18:47
7 yrs ago
Polish term
United States
Experience, Reliability & Quality
Native in: Polish
Works in: English to Polish, Polish to English
Wróblem wyleci, wołem wróci
Polish to English
Art/Literary
Other
Proverbs
Guys, I came up with the "Snowballing Effect" (this is for a title of an article), but where it covers one aspect of the original - growing big - it misses the second aspect, of getting distorted and changed. I need something that would cover both the size and the distortion. Any ideas?
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+2
3 mins
Selected
Making a mountain out of a molehill
This would be the equivalent.
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Note added at 4 mins (2017-03-04 18:52:14 GMT)
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Based on the meaning provided here: http://www.wsjp.pl/index.php?id_hasla=7701
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Note added at 10 mins (2017-03-04 18:57:55 GMT)
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Or "chinese whispers" might be a better choice.
http://www.learn-english-today.com/idioms/idiom-categories/c...
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Note added at 4 mins (2017-03-04 18:52:14 GMT)
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Based on the meaning provided here: http://www.wsjp.pl/index.php?id_hasla=7701
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Note added at 10 mins (2017-03-04 18:57:55 GMT)
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Or "chinese whispers" might be a better choice.
http://www.learn-english-today.com/idioms/idiom-categories/c...
Note from asker:
| Love it! Thanks! |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
magdadh
: perfectly idiomatic - chinese whispers in itself = distortion, not magnification. Maybe a case of Chinese whispers that make a mountain out of a molehill? ;)
3 hrs
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Thank you, Magda. I like the combination! ;-)
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| agree |
Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D.
3 days 1 hr
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Thank you. :-)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks"
49 mins
Frank Szmulowicz, Ph. D.
United States
United States
Native in Polish
&
English
United States
On time, on target, on budget.
Native in: English 
, Polish
Works in: Polish to English, English to Polish, Russian to Polish, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
536
changing a fly into an elephant
Propozycja.
1 hr
Jacek Kloskowski
United States
United States
Native in Polish
&
English
United States
Law Economy Computing Defense Medical
Native in: Polish , English
Works in: English to Polish, Polish to English, Polish, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
74
A little fire is quickly trodden out
The opposite of allowing something to grow out of proportion by not acting:
Meaning: If you deal with a minor problem quickly, it will not become a major issue.
OR: "Tall oaks grow from little acorns"
Meaning: If you deal with a minor problem quickly, it will not become a major issue.
OR: "Tall oaks grow from little acorns"
6 hrs
great oaks grow from little acorns
wiadomości i plotki - w miarę przekazywania - stają się wyolbrzymione - http://www.wsjp.pl/index.php?id_hasla=7701
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Something of small or modest proportions may grow into something very large or impressive - https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/great_oaks_from...
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today's gossip is tomorrow's headline
- https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/walterwinc112883...
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Something of small or modest proportions may grow into something very large or impressive - https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/great_oaks_from...
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today's gossip is tomorrow's headline
- https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/walterwinc112883...
Discussion
As an aside, mountain/molehill in itself is (I feel, but possibly wrongly) used mostly in the sense of making a fuss, robienia afery, not for gossip-related distortion?