[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]
[星星之火,可以燎原, xīng xing zhī huǒ, kě yǐ liáo yuán, ㄒㄧㄥ ㄒㄧㄥ˙ ㄓ ㄏㄨㄛˇ, ㄎㄜˇ ㄧˇ ㄌㄧㄠˊ ㄩㄢˊ]a single spark can start a huge blaze (成语 saw); an insignificant cause can have a massive effect[Add to Longdo]
[钻牛角 / 鑽牛角, zuān niú jiǎo, ㄗㄨㄢ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄠˇ]lit. honing a bull's horn; 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; same as 成语 saw 鑽牛角尖|钻牛角尖[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]
[かんろくぶそく, kanrokubusoku](n, adj-na, adj-no) lacking enough gravity for (a position, task); being an insignificant figure for (a position)[Add to Longdo]
[しゅきゃくてんとう, shukyakutentou](n, vs) reversing the order of (relative) importance (of); putting the cart before the horse; the tables being turned; mistaking the insignificant for the essential[Add to Longdo]
[しゅかくてんとう, shukakutentou](n, vs) reversing the order of (relative) importance (of); putting the cart before the horse; the tables being turned; mistaking the insignificant for the essential; mistaking the means for the end[Add to Longdo]
[しゅきゃくてんとう, shukyakutentou](n, vs) reversing the order of (relative) importance (of); putting the cart before the horse; the tables being turned; mistaking the insignificant for the essential[Add to Longdo]
[ほんまつてんとう, honmatsutentou](n, vs, adj-no) failing to properly evaluate the (relative) importance (of); putting the cart before the horse; mistaking the cause for the end; mistaking the insignificant for the essential; getting one's priorities backwards[Add to Longdo]