western australia

Making an elephant out of a mouse

@JudyEv (347538)

Rockingham, Australia

January 18, 2025 7:02pm CST

The photo is Vince’s of the mountains in Nepal. We have remained friends with several of the people we hosted when we were in couch-surfing. One of them now lives not far from us. She is a FIFO worker (fly in, fly out) and rents a room nearby. On her weeks off, she often drops in. She is German but has been in Australia for many years although she still has a very strong accent. She has an identical twin sister from whom she is estranged which is a bit sad. She was here last night and we were talking about this and that. She talked about a work colleague making ‘an elephant out of a mouse’. The equivalent English saying would be to make ‘a mountain out of a molehill’. Have you heard either of these? Both mean the same, don’t they?

15 people like this

16 responses

@snowy22315 (186060)

• United States

19 Jan

mountain out of molehill is common here. I know someone from online who is German but who has lived in Australia many years. She teaches German in I think Brisbane or around there. She calls her business German on the Coast. That is a beautiful mountain picture.

5 people like this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Jan

Brisbane is the other side of the country to us. I'm surprised our friend's accent is so strong and she has such trouble pronouncing new words. She's been here at least 20 years.

4 people like this

@snowy22315 (186060)

• United States

19 Jan

@JudyEv Really? I thought it was in WA? She lives on the Gold coast. Where is that?

2 people like this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

20 Jan

@snowy22315 The Gold Coast is in Queensland on the east coast of Australia and we are on the west coast.

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@AmbiePam (96356)

• United States

19 Jan

I read your title and thought, does she mean mountain out of a mole hill?

You taught me a new one with the mouse and elephant.

I love the picture.

5 people like this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Jan

I guess many countries would have their own versions of this saying. Vince flew past Mt Everest although I don't think this is it.

3 people like this

@much2say (57296)

• Los Angeles, California

19 Jan

Amazing photo! I don't think I've heard ‘an elephant out of a mouse’ - but I get it

.

4 people like this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Jan

She would have translated it from the German I think.

3 people like this

@rebelann (113346)

• El Paso, Texas

19 Jan

Yes, I am familiar with the latter. It's sad when siblings end up estranged, I know cuz I am as well although I'm not a twin.

4 people like this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Jan

It doesn't take much to cause a rift in families - or at least that's how it seems to me.

3 people like this

@rebelann (113346)

• El Paso, Texas

19 Jan

Perhaps, but sometimes it's something really huge, I suppose it just depends.

2 people like this

@jstory07 (142192)

• Roseburg, Oregon

19 Jan

Yes both sayings mean the same thing.

4 people like this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Jan

The sayings from other countries are interesting and often similar to our own.

2 people like this

@RevivedWarrior (3711)

• India

19 Jan

Loved the picture.Well, although this sentence was the first time I have ever heard of it , I could make out the meaning of the sentence. I have heard mountain out of a molehill but then there are few proverbs introduced by non-native English speakers . They would have taken it rom their native language but then most of times , it is easy to understand. Sometimes , it could be weird as well. It is sad your friend is estranged identical twin sister. Unfortunately there are things in life , that we feel sad and would have thought 'what if'. Anyways , it is their personal life and they know what works best for them.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

20 Jan

Yes, she translated a German saying into English but it means the same as our molehill saying.

1 person likes this

@shaggin (73986)

• United States

19 Jan

that is a funny saying. I’ve never heard that. Makes sense though now that you explain it. I think I recall you mentioning this woman before. Fun life I think to fly all over different places like that.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Jan

At the moment, she flies back and forth to a mine site in our north.

3 people like this

@DaddyEvil (142648)

• United States

19 Jan

Yes, we say "making a mountain out of a molehill" in my part of the US but I agree, "making an elephant out of a mouse" is the same thing.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

20 Jan

I wonder if we'll learn any other German sayings from her. lol

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@DaddyEvil (142648)

• United States

20 Jan

If you do, make sure you tell us about them... I always find stuff like that interesting.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

20 Jan

@DaddyEvil Maluse used to come with some from time to time. 'I feel my tummy tickled' was one of them.

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@wolfgirl569 (112468)

• Marion, Ohio

19 Jan

The mountain is popular here.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

20 Jan

We don't have mountains in our state. We have a few pretty big hills but that's about it.

1 person likes this

@xFiacre (13244)

• Ireland

19 Jan

@judyev Mountain yes, mouse no. We had a German friend at university who was coming to our house and we told her we lived in the second house past the blue pillars. When she got to the street she realised that she didn’t know what a blue pillar was and stopped people in the street asking “What is a blue pillar?” She never got there.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Jan

I can believe it. I guess neither of you thought about it at the time.

3 people like this

Lenore Plassman

@sallypup (63147)

• Centralia, Washington

19 Jan

That's fun. You have interesting friends.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Jan

Some of the couch-surfers were very interesting.

2 people like this

@thelme55 (77378)

• Germany

19 Jan

Nepal is a beautiful mountain. Yes, I have heard both sayings. I think they have the same meaning.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

20 Jan

Yes, the meaning is the same.

1 person likes this

@Beestring (14972)

• Hong Kong

19 Jan

Amazing photo. Never heard of this saying. Learned something new.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Jan

I guess our friend translated a German saying into English. I hadn't heard it before either.

3 people like this

@grenery8 (14205)

• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)

21 Jan

first time hearing about elephant in this saying but, yes, i reckon it means the same

. i also noticed how german language people have still strong accents after so many years living abroad, which is interesting. also, i love the photo of the mountain

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

22 Jan

We have Scottish friends who have been out here for years and they still have strong accents too.

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@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

26 Jan

@grenery8 We watched a Scottish film once and ended up reading the subtitles.

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@grenery8 (14205)

• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)

25 Jan

@JudyEv that's good. i would love to hear them talking

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@allknowing (141710)

• India

19 Jan

I am familiar with the saying Making a mountain out of a mole hill"

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

20 Jan

That's a common English one.

@RasmaSandra (82931)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

19 Jan

I think so and I always use the making an elephant out of a molehill, I guess maybe the other one is used because elephants are supposed to be afraid of mice,

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (347538)

• Rockingham, Australia

20 Jan

The elephant one has been translated from German but means the same.

1 person likes this