first world problem

See also: First World problem and first-world problem

English

Alternative forms

• First World problem, first-world problem

Etymology

First World + problem

Noun

first world problem (plural first world problems)

1. A complaint or frustration experienced only by privileged individuals in wealthy countries.

   Synonym: Cadillac problem

   It is really inconvenient to have our second fridge taking up space in the garage rather than being up and running – but that's definitely a first world problem.

   • 1995, “Omissions of the Omen”, in Matthew Good Band (music), Last of the Ghetto Astronauts:

     Someone would love to have my first world problems / Kill the moon and turn out the sun / Lock your door and load your gun / Free at last now the time has come to choose

   • 2010 April 6, “First World Problem”, in MC Frontalot (music), Zero Day:

     Phone's OS is outta date (first world problem) / Colors won't calibrate (first world problem) / They never stock the snack you want (first world problem) / Caught herpes from a celebutante (first world problem) / Got wallhacked in PVP (first world problem) / Oh no, HD-DVD (first world problem)

   • 2012 February 13, “The ‘Top 100 First World Problems’ According to Scooter Magruder (Video)”, in Huffington Post‎^[1], retrieved 2012-02-28:

     First world problems are not legitimate problems, but the minuscule annoyances that occur on a day-to-day basis in well-off, developed countries. Low cell phone battery? #firstworldproblems. Your hot water takes a while to get hot? #firstworldproblems.

   • 2012 February 17, Jeremy Campbell, “‘It’s a First-World problem’”, in Fox 13 News‎^[2], archived from the original on 25 February 2013:

     "My brand new phone got scratched on the first day that I got it," said Monica Menkis. That's a First World problem.

Translations

complaint or frustration

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 第一世界問題／第一世界问题 (dai⁶ jat¹ sai³ gaai³ man⁶ tai⁴), 第一世界问题 (dai6 jat1 sai3 gaai3 man6 tai4)

  Mandarin: 第一世界問題／第一世界问题 (dìyī shìjiè wèntí)

• Danish: førsteverdensproblem n
• Dutch: eerste wereldprobleem n
• Finnish: kehittyneen maailman ongelma
• French: problème de riche m
• Georgian: პირველი სამყაროს პრობლემა (ṗirveli samq̇aros ṗroblema)
• German: Luxusproblem (de) n
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: i-landsproblem (no) n

  Nynorsk: i-landsproblem n

• Portuguese: problema do primeiro mundo m
• Russian: пробле́ма пе́рвого ми́ра f (probléma pérvovo míra)
• Spanish: problema del primer mundo m
• Swedish: i-landsproblem (sv) n

See also

• candy store problem
• champagne problem
• OPP (“other people's problem”)