strain at a gnat

English

Alternative forms

  • strain out a gnat

Etymology

From the King James Version of the Bible, verse Matthew 23:24.[1]

Verb

strain at a gnat (third-person singular simple present strains at a gnat, present participle straining at a gnat, simple past and past participle strained at a gnat)

  1. (figuratively, idiomatic) to make a mountain out of a molehill

References

  1. ^ The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], 1611, →OCLC, Matthew 23:24: “Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.”
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