English in a Minute: Can't See the Forest for the Trees

Welcome to English in a Minute!
Forests are amazing places with lots of trees! But what does this idiom mean?

VO: Can't See the Forest for the Trees

J: Hey, how is that children’s book project going?
A: I’ve been working on it for so long that I can’t see the forest for the trees!
J: You should take a break. Come back in a few days. Then you’ll be able to see the whole story much better.
A: Good idea.

Lots of individual trees make up a forest. If you “can’t see the forest for the trees,” you’re not able to understand a situation fully because you are too focused on the small details. Think of each detail as a tree, and the major issue as the forest.
And that’s English in a Minute!

Originally published at - https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a...