words or expressions

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whoami
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words or expressions

Post by whoami »

I have learnt the expression"the last straw".But I still don't know its exact meaning.Can you help with me?Can you give me some examples to use it?
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Cypress
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Post by Cypress »

The final/last straw

the last in a series of unpleasant events which finally makes you feel that you cannot continue to accept a bad situation

Examples:
One night he came home drunk at 5 o'clock in the morning and that was the last straw.
He'd been unhappy at work for a long time but the last straw came when he was refused promotion.

Lucy leaving was the last straw for him and he pretty much gave up the will to live.

(from thefreedictionary.com)
whoami
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Post by whoami »

Thank you very much! Now I know the meaning.
byron
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Re: words or expressions

Post by byron »

whoami wrote:I have learnt the expression"the last straw".But I still don't know its exact meaning.Can you help with me?Can you give me some examples to use it?
You might also be interested in the derivation. This is from the full saying "the straw that broke the Camel's back" The meaning being that someone overloaded a Camel so much that when they put a straw on the load the poor Camel collapsed with the weight.
The phrases "That's the last straw" and "That's the straw the broke the camel's back," originated with Archbishop John Bramhall, who, in 1655, wrote: "It is the last feather that breaks the horse's back."

Example 1. I have sold my car, it was always going wrong, the final straw was the brakes failing.
Example 2: I have stopped loaning out my bicycle to friends. The final straw was when it was returned to me with a puncture in the tyre.
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