tiny violins
pretended sympathy
TRANSLATION
tiny violins (bring on the violins) = mir kommen fast die Tränen
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
“Get out your TINY VIOLINS - Wonga has collapsed into administration after it was overwhelmed by a surge in complaints by former customers. It received a £10 million cash injection to save the company from entering insolvency only last month."
joe dot co dot uk
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“All those with TINY VIOLINS can you all start playing now please. A combined £54bn has been wiped from the most wealthy individuals and families in the UK since the coronavirus outbreak began. 63 people on the list, including billionaires, have sought to lay off their staff at the expense of the taxpayer.”
Sky News
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“Sun Newspaper on the Verge of Bankruptcy, Public to Play ‘TINY VIOLINS’ Every Thursday.”
The Daily Shunt
Did you
know?
tiny violins
noun phrase
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We use this phrase when a character is presumed to be exaggerating the sorrow of their predicament in order to gain sympathy. Another character may respond by rubbing their finger and thumb back and forth as if they were playing the world’s smallest violin, possibly making fake violin noises with their mouth.
There are other, much more rude, hand gestures available to tell someone they’re being an ass, but the tiny violin is more sophisticated. It plays on the idea that the Warsaw Symphony Orchestra should suddenly pop up out of nowhere to provide approprate background to an exaggerated lament.
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SYNONYM
bring on the violins
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Appreciation to Ina for suggesting today’s interesting OWAD.
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