| 词源 |
straw that broke the camel’s back; last straw. Charles Dick- ens probably invented these expressions in Dombey and Son, where he wrote: “As the last straw breaks the laden camel’s back.” But Dickens got the idea from an old English proverb: ’Tis the last feather that breaks the horse’s back. Both phrases re- fer to someone’s limit or breaking point. The strongest camel can carry about 1,200 pounds—a straw more might literally break its back. |