nothing burger

noun

variants or nothingburger

ˈnə-thiŋ-ˌbər-gər 

or less commonly nothing-burger

plural nothing burgers or nothingburgers also nothing-burgers

: something that is less consequential or important than expected

The ongoing tension between Apple and Facebook flared again this week, causing a dramatic hubbub in the tech industry. I'd argue it was a nothing burger. Not because it was unimportant, but because it's clear that despite persistent evidence that our privacy is being violated, it might not matter.

—Kara Swisher

… for anyone directly involved, [government] shutdowns may have been hellish. But for the overall economy, they have had little major impact. Financial markets have generally treated them as nothingburgers.

—Jeff Sommer

broadly : a person or thing of little importance

Is that piece of evidence a nothing burger or a big freakin' deal?

—Mark Kiszla

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above