CAN’T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES



Meaning- to overlook the overall situation because of a focus on small details.


Usage- During his writing he focuses on grammar but forgets the content. He can’t see the forest for the trees.

Origin- This idiom,which has been popular for many years,created this picture in the mind of the writer who invented it: a person in the country focuses so intently on each individual tree, leaf, branch, twig ,that she misses the splendour of the huge forest she’s in . Afterwards,if someone asks her,”How dis you like the forest?” she might answer- ” What forest? All I saw were some trees”. This saying means to be unable to understand the whole situation because you pay too much attention to the small parts.

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