[钻牛角尖 / 鑽牛角尖, zuān niú jiǎo jiān, ㄗㄨㄢ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄠˇ ㄐㄧㄢ]lit. to hone a bull's horn (成语 saw); fig. to waste time on an insoluble or insignificant problem; to bash one's head against a brick wall; a wild goose chase; a blind alley; to split hairs#40406[Add to Longdo]
[对牛弹琴 / 對牛彈琴, duì niú tán qín, ㄉㄨㄟˋ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄊㄢˊ ㄑㄧㄣˊ]to play the lute to a cow (成语 saw); fig. offering a treat to a unappreciative audience; to cast pearls before swine; caviar to the general; to preach to deaf ears; to talk over sb's head#66338[Add to Longdo]
[汗牛充栋 / 汗牛充棟, hàn niú chōng dòng, ㄏㄢˋ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄔㄨㄥ ㄉㄨㄥˋ]lit. enough books to make a pack-ox sweat or to fill a house to the rafters (成语 saw); fig. many books#95529[Add to Longdo]
[つのをためてうしをころす, tsunowotameteushiwokorosu](exp, v5s) to throw the baby out with the bath water; to strain at a camel and swallow a gnat; to obsess over insignificant details and miss the larger point[Add to Longdo]
[かっけいぎゅうとう, kakkeigyuutou](n) using a meat ax when a knife would suffice; taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut; using a grand-scale measure (a massive instrument) to deal with an insignificant problem[Add to Longdo]