strain at a gnat and swallow a camel

[nat] Origin

gnat

[nat]
noun
1.
any of certain small flies, especially the biting gnats or punkies of the family Ceratopogonidae, the midges of the family Chironomidae, and the black flies of the family Simuliidae.
2.
British. mosquito.
3.
strain at a gnat and swallow a camel, to fuss about trifles while ignoring more serious matters.

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Strain at a gnat and swallow a camel is always a great word to know.
So is gobo. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English gnæt(t); cognate with German (dial.) Gnatze

gnat·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

gnat
O.E. gnætt, earlier gneat, from P.Gmc. *gnattaz (cf. Low Ger. gnatte, Ger. Gnitze).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

gnat (nāt)
n.
Any of various small, biting, two-winged flies, such as a biting midge or black fly.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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