the straw that broke the camel's back
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English
Etymology
Possibly from the proverb, recorded by Thomas Fuller in his Gnomologia (1732) as “Tis the last feather that breaks the horse's back.” This comes from an Arab proverb about loading up a camel beyond its capacity to move.
Pronunciation
Audio (General Australian): (file)
Noun
the straw that broke the camel’s back
- (idiomatic) 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.
- 1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, chapter II, in Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, , published 1848, →OCLC, page 13:
- As the last straw breaks the laden camel's back, this piece of underground information crushed the sinking spirits of Mr. Dombey.
Translations
small additional burden which causes failure