Word Meaning 角を矯めて牛を殺す

つのをためてうしをころす tsuno o tameteushi o korosu

角を矯めて牛を殺す is read as つのをためてうしをころす (tsuno o tameteushi o korosu) and means to throw the baby out with the bath water.

Meaning

English

  1. to throw the baby out with the bath water
  2. to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel
  3. to obsess over insignificant details and miss the larger point
  4. to straighten the horns and kill the cow

Reading

Kana

つのをためてうしをころす

Romaji

tsuno o tameteushi o korosu

Stroke Sequence

9 Characters • 49 Total Strokes

Study Signals and Categories

JLPT N1 Jōyō Upper Grade Proverb Rank 147813 Priority X

Related Vocabulary

Max. 12

矯角殺牛

きょうかくさつぎゅう

trying to straighten the horns of a bull, and killing it in the process

角牛

かくぎゅう

bullfight

長角牛

ちょうかくぎゅう

longhorn

牛の角文字

うしのつのもじ

hiragana character "i"

無角牛

むかくぎゅう

polled cattle

短角牛

たんかくぎゅう

shorthorn

牛角

ぎゅうかく

horn (of a cow)

牛殺し

うしころし

Oriental photinia (Photinia villosa)

蝸牛角上の争い

かぎゅうかくじょうのあらそい

fighting over nothing

蝸牛角上

かぎゅうかくじょう

trifling (fight)

角を出す

つのをだす

to get jealous

角を生やす

つのをはやす

to get jealous