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Jul 24, 2013 · Needle in a haystack's origin is Arabic. Part of an ancient Arabic proverb. In doing research into the Arabic language and ancient history, I was surprised to find that many of our modern (last couple of centuries) sayings have their origins in old Arabic proverbs. Possibly making their way into English and European languages during the Crusades.
Are there more idioms, sayings or phrases similar to "needle in a haystack" that are relevant to hidden objects, or difficult to find items? Also interested in similar nouns relevant to the somewhat oppositional concepts like "needle" and "haystack" or "3-leaf clover" vs. "4-leaf clover" where one object is significantly harder to find.
May 12, 2012 · 1. I guess you mean 'difficult to locate/find', rather than 'rare'. The commonest idiom for objects difficult to locate is needle in a haystack. Red cars, for the man, were like needles in a haystack. This means the man found red cars very difficult to spot. There are several related idioms for things that are hard to chance upon.
Mar 31, 2015 · First off, that's like finding a hippo in a haystack. In some parts they might be the only non-white for miles. Again, this seems to be the exact opposite of the idiom finding a needle in a haystack: An item that is very hard or impossible to locate, Currently, Jahanna Shilden has a database listed on Github.com: hippo-in-a-haystack
Feb 8, 2017 · 1. It would normally refers to a delicate operation that requires a lot of care and concentration, as is threading an actual needle. (i.e. trying to push a non-rigid thread through the tiny hole in the needle) - though on reading the section you linked I don't see why they used that title - it's about threads alright but that's about it ...
Lyrics from the song, Beat the Devil's Tattoo: I thread the needle through, you beat the devil's tattoo. Does anyone know the meaning of "thread the needle through" and "beat the d...
Jun 15, 2020 · I understand the context of the phrase "moving the needle" as a expression of metrics, particularly econometrics. As a phrase, it can be used to simply express that measurable statistics will change as a result of actions. I've been involved in social entrepreneurship, and when I talk about them, I often say my projects "truly move the needle".
Dec 9, 2016 · 2,478 3 19 25. asked Dec 9, 2016 at 1:07. Zhenhuan Liu. 9 2. 2. My first guess would be that it's a conflation of "turn the knob" and "move the needle". Whether the conflation would be intentional or un, though, I can't say. But another possibility is that it's referring to moving the needle on a compass. – Hot Licks.
Oct 5, 2017 · Never peg the needle on your spending meter. This phrase alludes to analog measuring devices, like speedometers, where pegging the needle means performing in excess of your ability to measure - implying performance (or values) which meet (or exceed) what was previously believed (or intended) to be the maximum.
Dec 21, 2018 · If you include more of the surrounding dialogue, it might be possible to identify what sense of needle the author had in mind. One source that I checked says that needle in the sense of "annoyance , nettling, or vexation" is "usu. constr. with give the , get the , etc."—but again, there is too little information in your question as it is currently formulated to say whether that sense of needle is intended.
