Straw that broke the camel's back
Encyclopedia
The idiom
the straw that broke the camel's back is from an Arabic proverb
about how a camel
wearing shoes is loaded beyond its capacity to move or stand. This is a reference to any process by which cataclysmic failure (a broken back) is achieved by a seemingly inconsequential addition (a single straw
). This also gives rise to the phrase
"the last/final straw", used when something is deemed to be the last in a line of unacceptable occurrences. Variations of this idiom include "the straw that broke the donkey
's back", "melon that broke the monkey
's back" and "final feather that broke the camel's back".
In Swedish it's translated to "det var droppen som fick bägaren att rinna över"
One of the earliest published usages of this phrase was in Charles Dickens
's Dombey and Son
where he says "As the last straw breaks the laden camel's back", meaning that there is a limit to everyone's endurance, or everyone has his breaking point. Dickens was writing in the nineteenth century and he may have received his inspiration from an earlier proverb, recorded by Thomas Fuller
in his Gnomologia as 'Tis the last feather that breaks the horse's back.'
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
the straw that broke the camel's back is from an Arabic proverb
Proverb
A proverb is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim...
about how a camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
wearing shoes is loaded beyond its capacity to move or stand. This is a reference to any process by which cataclysmic failure (a broken back) is achieved by a seemingly inconsequential addition (a single straw
Straw
Straw is an agricultural by-product, the dry stalks of cereal plants, after the grain and chaff have been removed. Straw makes up about half of the yield of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat. It has many uses, including fuel, livestock bedding and fodder, thatching and...
). This also gives rise to the phrase
Phrase
In everyday speech, a phrase may refer to any group of words. In linguistics, a phrase is a group of words which form a constituent and so function as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence. A phrase is lower on the grammatical hierarchy than a clause....
"the last/final straw", used when something is deemed to be the last in a line of unacceptable occurrences. Variations of this idiom include "the straw that broke the donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
's back", "melon that broke the monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
's back" and "final feather that broke the camel's back".
In Swedish it's translated to "det var droppen som fick bägaren att rinna över"
One of the earliest published usages of this phrase was in Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
's Dombey and Son
Dombey and Son
Dombey and Son is a novel by the Victorian author Charles Dickens. It was first published in monthly parts between October 1846 and April 1848 with the full title Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son: Wholesale, Retail and for Exportation...
where he says "As the last straw breaks the laden camel's back", meaning that there is a limit to everyone's endurance, or everyone has his breaking point. Dickens was writing in the nineteenth century and he may have received his inspiration from an earlier proverb, recorded by Thomas Fuller
Thomas Fuller M.D.
Thomas Fuller, M.D. was a British physician, preacher, and intellectual.Fuller was born in Rosehill, Sussex, and educated at Queens' College, Cambridge. He practised medicine at Sevenoaks....
in his Gnomologia as 'Tis the last feather that breaks the horse's back.'