Where did the saying splitting hairs come from?

Where did the saying splitting hairs come from?

split hairs, to To make petty, unnecessarily fine distinctions. The analogy between splitting so fine a material as a hair and making fine distinctions was drawn by Shakespeare’s time.

What does splitting hairs really mean?

to make often peevish criticisms or objections about matters that are minor, unimportant, or irrelevant. They fussed that the cheese should have been served at room temperature, but to me they were splitting hairs.

What are split hairs called?

Trichoptilosis (from the Greek τριχο- tricho- “hair” and the New Latin ptilosis “arrangement of feathers in definite areas” from the Greek πτίλον ptilon “feather”), schizotrichia, and informally split ends, is the splitting or fraying of the hair-shaft due to excessive heat and mechanical stress.

What does lets not split hairs mean?

Let’s not split hairs: We shouldn’t worry about small, insignificant details. idiom. to split: to divide, to separate, to break. verb.

What does put a cork in it mean?

Definition of put a cork in it chiefly US, informal. —used as a rude way to tell someone to stop talking and especially to stop complaining Why don’t you put a cork in it!

What does made his pile mean?

to earn a large amount of money: He made a pile selling computers and retired by the time he was 40. Large amounts of money. a small fortune idiom.

What does a brown study mean?

: a state of serious absorption or abstraction.

What is the meaning of the idiom above all?

: before every other consideration : especially.

What does quibbling mean in English?

quibble \KWIB-ul\ verb. 1 : to evade the point of an argument by caviling about words. 2 a : to find fault by raising trivial or frivolous objection. b : to engage in a petty quarrel : bicker. 3 : to subject to minor objections or criticisms.

What causes Trichoptilosis?

Trichoptilosis describes the process when a hair shaft (the section of the hair that you can see above your scalp) splits or frays due to excessive heat and misuse. The primary cause of this is physical stress, which either comes from heat or physical force.

What does the saying all wet mean?

Completely wrong, mistaken
Completely wrong, mistaken, as in If you think you can beat the system and win at roulette, you’re all wet. The original allusion in this expression is unclear, that is, how moisture or dampness is related to wrongness. [ Slang; first half of 1900s]