split hairs
Argue trivial distinctions
To split hairs is to make distinctions so fine they become trivial or meaningless.
The phrase implies excessive attention to minor differences that don't matter in practice: Let's not split hairs over the exact wording.
Someone who habitually does this is a hairsplitter, engaged in hairsplitting.
The image is of dividing something already impossibly thin.
Find petty faults
- cavilPetty objection
- quibbleTrivial objection raised
- pettifogArgue over trivialities
- nit-pickingCriticizing trivial imperfections
punctilious · fastidious · pedant · fussbudget · persnickety · finicky · literalism · purism
Petty precise particulars
- triflingOf no real importance
- inconsequentialLacking significance or impact
- insignificantLacking importance or consequence
- pettyOf little importance
picayune · piddling · niggling · minor · immaterial · trivialities · negligible · unimportant
Ponder far too much
- obsessDwell on compulsively
- scrutinizeInspect with close attention
- microscopeInstrument for viewing minute objects
- ruminateThink deeply and repeatedly
second-guess · dissect · belabor · agonize · fixate · dwell · hyperanalyze
Argue over trifles
- squabbleTrivial noisy argument
- disputeVerbal clash over differences
- wrangleArgue or herd livestock
- quarrelAngry verbal dispute
contentious · contrarian · objection · carp · gripe · complain · nag · faultfinding
nitpick
Find petty faults
nit-picking · punctilious · fastidious · pedant · fussbudget · persnickety · finicky · literalism · purism · formalism
minutiae
Petty precise particulars
- triflingOf no real importance
- inconsequentialLacking significance or impact
- insignificantLacking importance or consequence
petty · picayune · piddling · niggling · minor · immaterial · trivialities · negligible · unimportant · irrelevant
overthink
Ponder far too much
- obsessDwell on compulsively
- scrutinizeInspect with close attention
- microscopeInstrument for viewing minute objects
ruminate · second-guess · dissect · belabor · agonize · fixate · dwell · hyperanalyze
bicker
Argue over trifles
quarrel · contentious · contrarian · objection · carp · gripe · complain · nag · faultfinding · criticize
split hairssee the forest for the trees
Recognize whole despite details
see the whole picture · generalize · zoom out · paint with a broad brush · step back
split hairscut to the chase
Skip to essentials
get to the point · round off · approximate · handwave · wave away
split hairsgeneralize
Make broadly applicable
simplify · summarize · gloss over · round off · approximate
split, hair, splitting, splits, splitter, hair-splitting, splitters, hairsplitter, splittable