The French expression “il n’y pas de quoi fouetter un chat” translates directly to “there’s nothing to whip the cat about”.
English meanings:
- there’s nothing to get worked up about
- it’s only trifle
- it’s nothing to make a fuss about
French meanings:
- ce n’est pas si grave – it’s not such a big deal
- avoir d’autres choses à faire – to have other things to do
Example sentence:
- Hier j’ai oublié de faire la vaisselle et mon colocataire m’a grondé. Je lui ai dit «Ecoute, il n’y pas de quoi fouetter un chat!» Yesterday I forgot to do the dishes and my roommate scolded me. I told him, “Listen, there’s nothing to get worked up about!
Synonyms and related language:
- avoir d’autres chats à fouetter – have better things to do, other fish to fry
- être énervé – to be worked up
- être sur les nerfs – to be worked up
Bonjour! My name is David Issokson. I'm based in Victor, Idaho and have helped hundreds of students to learn French via Skype or Zoom since 2014. 
