Split Hairs

Pronunciation: /splɪt hɛrz/

Definitions of split hairs

verb to argue or worry about very small or unimportant details

Example Sentences

A1 I don't want to split hairs, but can you please clean up your room?

A2 Let's not split hairs over who should pay for dinner.

B1 We shouldn't split hairs about the minor details and focus on the main issues.

B2 It's important to split hairs when analyzing scientific data to ensure accuracy.

C1 As a professional editor, I often have to split hairs to ensure the text is flawless.

C2 The lawyer was known for his ability to split hairs in court to win cases.

Examples of split hairs in a Sentence

formal In legal matters, it is important not to split hairs when interpreting the law.

informal Stop splitting hairs and just tell me what you really think.

slang Don't split hairs over the small details, just get the job done.

figurative She always likes to split hairs and find faults in everything.

Grammatical Forms of split hairs

• past tense: split
• plural: split hairs
• comparative: more split
• superlative: most split
• present tense: splitting hairs
• future tense: will split hairs
• perfect tense: have split hairs
• continuous tense: is splitting hairs
• singular: splits hairs
• positive degree: split hairs
• infinitive: to split hairs
• gerund: splitting hairs
• participle: splitting hairs

Origin and Evolution of split hairs

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The expression 'split hairs' originated from the idea of meticulously dividing a single hair into smaller parts, symbolizing a nitpicky or overly detailed approach.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase 'split hairs' has come to represent a tendency to focus on trivial or inconsequential details, often used in a critical or dismissive manner.