strain at a gnat and swallow a camel
idiom/STRAYN at uh NAT and SWOL-oh uh KAM-ul/
to fuss over trifles but ignore big issues
Bull Sir की Hinglish
Strain at a gnat and swallow a camel मतलब छोटी-छोटी बातों पर बाल की खाल निकालना और बड़ी ग़लतियों को नज़रअंदाज़ कर देना।
Meanings & examples
- 1. idiom
to fuss over small matters while ignoring much bigger ones
- “Auditors who check every taxi bill but ignore the missing crores strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.”
- “Do not strain at a gnat and swallow a camel — fix the big problem first.”
💡 Memory trick
Picture someone carefully filtering a tiny fly (gnat) out of their drink, then gulping down a whole camel.
📜 Asked in exams
Real previous-year questions on this word. Open one to try it and see the answer.