Blogger Widgets Blogger Widgets ¡Mira que luna......! Look at that moon....! Resources for learning English: CAN'T SEE THE WOOD FOR THE TREES.

!Mira que luna! Look at that moon! Resources for learning English

!Mira que luna! Look at that moon! Resources for learning English
Fernando Olivera: El rapto.- TEXT FROM THE NOVEL The goldfinch by Donna Tartt (...) One night we were in San Antonio, and I was having a bit of a melt-down, wanting my own room, you know, my dog, my own bed, and Daddy lifted me up on the fairgrounds and told me to look at the moon. When "you feel homesick", he said, just look up. Because the moon is the same wherever you go". So after he died, and I had to go to Aunt Bess -I mean, even now, in the city, when I see a full moon, it's like he's telling me not to look back or feel sad about things, that home is wherever I am. She kissed me on the nose. Or where you are, puppy. The center of my earth is you". The goldfinch Donna Tartt 4441 English edition

Thursday, September 13, 2012

CAN'T SEE THE WOOD FOR THE TREES.


Meaning: If you can't see the wood for the trees, you can't see the whole situation clearly because you're looking too closely at small details, or because you're too closely involved.
For example:
  • I don't think we can see the wood for the trees at this stage, so let's get an outsider to take a look at the project and give us a progress report.
  • Marcus is so focused on product details that he can't see the wood for the trees when it comes to the overall needs of the company.
Note: The U.S. equivalent is "can't see the forest for the trees".

Variety: This idiom is typically used in British English but may be used in other varieties of English too.

Quick Quiz:
The safety officer can't see the wood for the trees because
  1. she's too focused on safety issues
  2. she thinks all the trees look the same
  3. she doesn't know which way to look
ENGLISHCLUB.COM

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