Straw that broke the camel's back
- Straw that broke the camel's back
The idiom the straw that broke the camel's back is from an Arab proverb about how a camel wearing shoes is loaded beyond its capacity to moveFact|date=October 2007. This is a reference to any process by which cataclysmic failure (a broken back) is achieved by a seemingly inconsequential addition (a single straw). This also gives rise to the phrase "the last/final straw", used when something is deemed to be the last in a line of unacceptable occurrences. A variation of this idiom is "the straw that broke the donkey's back".
One of the earliest published usages of this phrase was in Charles Dickens's "Dombey and Son" where he says "As the last straw breaks the laden camel's back", meaning that there is a limit to everyone's endurance, or everyone has his breaking point. Dickens was writing in the nineteenth century and he may have received his inspiration from an earlier proverb, recorded by Thomas Fuller in his "Gnomologia" as 'Tis the last feather that breaks the horse's back.'
*Arabic Original : القشه التى قسمت ظهر البعير
*Danish equivalent: "Dråben, der fik bægeret til at flyde over", meaning "the drop that made the glass overflow".
*French equivalent: "la goutte d'eau qui fait déborder le vase", meaning "the drop of water that makes the glass overflow".
*German equivalent: "Der Tropfen, der das Fass zum Überlaufen bringt", meaning "the drop that makes the barrel overflow".
*Dutch equivalent: "De druppel die de emmer doet overlopen", meaning "the drop that makes the bucket overflow".
*Spanish equivalent: "La gota que colmó el vaso", meaning "the drop that spills over the glass".
*Italian equivalent: "La goccia che fa traboccare il vaso", meaning "the drop of water that makes the jar overflow".
*Romanian equivalent: "Picătura care a umplut paharul", meaning "the drop that filled the glass".
*Swedish equivalent: "Droppen som fick bägaren att rinna över", meaning "the drop that made the bucket overflow".
*Turkish equivalent: "Bardağı taşıran son damla", meaning "the drop of water that makes the glass overflow".
*Hebrew equivalent: "הקש ששבר את גב הגמל", meaning "the straw that broke the camel's back".
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straw that broke the camel's back — The straw that broke the camel s back is the problem that made you lose your temper or the problem that finally brought about the collapse of something … The small dictionary of idiomes
straw that broke the camel's back — The straw that broke the camel s back is the problem that made you lose your temper or the problem that finally brought about the collapse of something. (Dorking School Dictionary) … English Idioms & idiomatic expressions
Straw that broke the camel's back — The straw that broke the camel s back is the problem that made you lose your temper or the problem that finally brought about the collapse of something … Dictionary of English idioms
straw that broke the camel’s back — Issue or problem that destroys one’s patience. ► “ I was just starting to get into the story when there it was, at the end of the third paragraph the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. ‘Internet enabled.’ ” (Business Marketing, Sept … American business jargon
straw\ that\ breaks\ the\ camel's\ back — • last straw • (it is the) last straw that breaks the camel s back n. phr. A small trouble which follows other troubles and makes one lose patience and be unable to bear them. Bill had a bad day in school yesterday. He lost his knife on the way… … Словарь американских идиом
straw that breaks the camel's back — a small problem which follows other troubles that makes you lose patience and be unable to continue as before Recently she has caused many problems in this company. However, when she lost the key to the front door of the office it was the straw… … Idioms and examples
(the) straw that breaks the camel's back — the last in a series of unpleasant events which finally makes you feel that you cannot continue to accept a bad situation. Losing my job was bad enough but having the relationship end like that was the straw that broke the camel s back … New idioms dictionary
the straw that broke the camel's back — noun A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something. As the last straw breaks the laden camels… … Wiktionary
straw that broke the camel's back — See the last straw … English idioms
straw that broke the camel's back — last in a series of problems that finally caused a situation to become unbearable … English contemporary dictionary
