camel
(something) is the straw that broke the camel's back
Something is the last thing experienced in a series of recurring offenses or problems that causes one to finally lose patience or for something to stop working. It alludes to the idea that a single additional piece of straw could cause an overladen camel to finally collapse. A: "Why are you getting upset about it now? Tom's been taking credit for your ideas for years." B: "Yeah, but him getting a promotion out of it is the straw that broke the camel's back!" I've hiked miles and miles in these boots—I can't believe they finally fell apart while I was walking in my own driveway! But I guess that was the straw that broke the camel's back.
See also: back, broke, straw, that
a camel is a horse designed by a committee
Committees, due to their reliance on several different opinions and viewpoints, produce results that are fragmented, inefficient, or of poor quality, especially compared to the work of a single individual or a small team. A: "Did you see this latest memo? Can you believe the asinine decisions the task force made?" B: "Well, a camel is a horse designed by a committee."
See also: by, camel, committee, design, horse
a camel's nose (under the tent)
A small, seemingly innocuous act or decision that will lead to much larger, more serious, and less desirable consequences down the line. The term refers to an alleged Arab proverb that if a camel is allowed to get its nose inside of a tent, it will be impossible to prevent the rest of it from entering. Some regard legalizing same-sex marriage as a camel's nose under the tent, eventually leading to the destruction of marriage altogether. Not hiring an exterminator at the first sign of termites has proved to be a camel's nose, as much of our woodwork is now destroyed.
See also: nose
camel through the eye of a needle
Used as part of a comparison to indicate that something is impossible or extremely difficult to accomplish. Taken from the passage in the Bible (Luke 18:25), "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." You'd have an easier time getting a camel through the eye of a needle than getting them to agree on the issue.
See also: camel, eye, needle, of, through
camel toe
slang The outline of a woman's external genitalia as is visible through tight pants, said to resemble the toes on a camel's hoof. Be honest—is my camel toe too noticeable when I wear these leggings?
See also: camel, toe
It is the last straw that breaks the camel's back
proverb After someone or something has experienced a series of recurring offenses or problems, even a minor one can be the one that causes one to finally lose patience or for something to stop working. It alludes to the idea that a single additional piece of straw could cause an overladen camel to finally collapse. Common versions of this phrase are "the last straw" and "the straw that broke the camel's back." A: "Why are you getting upset about it now? Tom's been taking credit for your ideas for years." B: "It is the last straw that breaks the camel's back!" I've hiked miles and miles in these boots—I can't believe they finally fell apart while I was walking in my own driveway! But I guess it is the last straw that breaks the camel's back.
See also: back, break, last, straw, that
strain at a gnat and swallow a camel
To resist, criticize, or bemoan something minor or inconsequential while ignoring or overlooking something much more serious or important. The expression originated in the Bible, in Matthew 23:24. The government is letting the housing crisis spiral out of control while they spend millions trying to catch people who sublet their apartments without paying taxes. Talk about straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel!
See also: and, camel, gnat, strain, swallow
strain at gnats and swallow camels
To resist, criticize, or bemoan something minor or inconsequential while ignoring or overlooking something much more serious or important. The expression originated in the Bible, in Matthew 23:24. The government is letting the housing crisis spiral out of control while they spend millions trying to catch people who sublet their apartments without paying taxes. Talk about straining at gnats and swallowing camels!
See also: and, camel, gnat, strain, swallow
the straw that breaks the camel's back
A seemingly small or inconsequential issue, problem, or burden that proves to be the final catalyst in causing an overworked or overburdened person, system, organization, etc., to fail, give up, or collapse. With governmental resources already strained to the breaking point, any sort of environmental disaster would be the straw that breaks the camel's back. I was already fed up with his laziness and insensitivity, but Jim's refusal to come with me to my own mother's funeral was the straw that breaks the camel's back.
See also: back, break, straw, that
the straw that broke the camel's back
A seemingly small or inconsequential issue, problem, or burden that proved to be the final catalyst in causing an overworked or overburdened person, system, organization, etc., to fail, give up, or collapse. I was already fed up with my husband's lazy, selfish ways, but it was his refusal to get off the couch and come with me to my mother's funeral that was the straw that broke the camel's back! With governmental resources already strained to the breaking point, any sort of environmental disaster would likely be the straw that broke the camel's back.
See also: back, broke, straw, that
trust in Allah, but tie up your camel
Have faith, but also take prudent action. My mother is very spiritual but also takes many steps to maintain her health. Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel, as the saying goes.
See also: but, camel, tie, trust, up
trust in God, but tie up your camel
Have faith, but also take prudent action. My mother is very spiritual but also takes many steps to maintain her health. Trust in God, but tie up your camel, as the saying goes.
See also: but, camel, tie, trust, up
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
strain at gnats and swallow camels
Prov. to criticize other people for minor offenses while ignoring major offenses. (Biblical.) Jill: Look at that. Edward is combing his hair at his desk. How unprofessional. Jane: Don't strain at gnats and swallow camels. There are worse problems than that around here.
See also: and, camel, gnat, strain, swallow
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
camel
see under last straw.
last straw, the
The final annoyance or setback, which even though minor makes one lose patience. For example, I could put up with his delays and missed deadlines, but when he claimed the work was unimportant-that was the last straw! This term is a shortening of the straw that broke the camel's back, which conveys a vivid image of an overloaded animal being given one slight additional weight. The expression dates from the mid-1800s, and replaced the earlier the last feather that breaks the horse's back.
See also: last
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
the straw that breaks the camel's back
If you say that something is the straw that breaks the camel's back, you mean it is the latest in a series of bad events, and it makes you unable to deal with a situation any longer. Last week, I broke my wrist skateboarding and that was the straw that broke the camel's back as far as my dad was concerned. He has ordered me to stay away from anything that could get me into an accident. Compare with the last straw. Note: The reference here is to an animal which is already carrying a great deal on its back and which collapses when one more thing is added.
See also: back, break, straw, that
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
camel toes
n. a woman’s vulva as it appears through blue jeans, especially jeans that have been pulled up too tight. There’s nothing attractive about camel toes.
See also: camel, toe
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
camel through a needle's eye, a
An impossibility. The whole phrase, which comes from the Gospels of St. Matthew (19:24) and St. Mark (10:25), states that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God. Variants appear in both Jewish religious writings and in the Islamic Koran. The thought is repeated by Shakespeare in Richard II (5.5): “It is as hard to come as for a camel to thread the postern of a small needle’s eye.”
See also: camel, through
last straw, the
The final minor irritation; one last superfluous item. This term, also put as the straw that broke the camel’s back, appears in Dickens’s Dombey and Son (1848). It is a version of the earlier “last feather that breaks the horse’s back,” found in Archbishop John Bramhall’s Works (1677) and repeated in Fuller’s Gnomologia (1732). Both convey a vivid image of something that would not be burdensome if there were not too much of it, but the straw version is the one that survived and became a cliché.
See also: last
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
the straw that broke the camel's back
The final limit of capacity, including patience. An Arabian anecdote told of a camel whose owner loaded the beast of burden with as much straw as possible. Not satisfied with the staggering load he had put on the camel, the owner added just one last piece of straw. Even that one wisp was too much, and the animal collapsed with a broken back, leaving the owner with no way to take his goods to the market. The story is a parable for all the times you've been repeatedly irked until you can't take it anymore and you explode.
See also: back, broke, straw, that
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
- (something) is the last straw
- (something) is the straw that broke the camel's back
- a thing of the past
- (one) could use (something)
- (I) wouldn't (do something) if I were you
- (one) never would have guessed
- (one) doesn't give a rip (about something)
- all right
- (one) doesn't give a hoot (about something)
- a/the feel of (something)