Can’t See The Forest For The Trees
- Can’t See The Forest For The Trees
- How common is this idiom?: This idiom is still commonly used today, especially in situations where someone is getting bogged down in details and losing sight of the bigger picture. It's often used in business, politics, and everyday conversations.
- Literal Meaning: The literal meaning of this idiom is that you can't see the forest (the big picture) because of all the trees (small details) in the way.
- Actual Idiomatic Meaning: The actual idiomatic meaning of this phrase is that someone is so focused on small details that they are missing the overall situation or bigger picture.
- I've been so focused on getting all the details right for this project, I think I'm starting to miss the overall goal. I guess I'm having trouble seeing the forest for the trees.
- He's so caught up in the numbers that he can't see the forest for the trees – the company's financials are actually doing well, but he's worried about a small discrepancy.
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