split hairs

Cultural  

1. To argue about an inconsequential and trivial aspect of an issue: “When you are accused of being forty-five minutes late for an appointment, you are splitting hairs to say that you were really only forty minutes late.”

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split hairs Idioms  

1. Make trivial distinctions, quibble, as in Let's not split hairs about whose turn it is; I'll close up today and you do it tomorrow. This metaphoric idiom transfers dividing so fine an object as a single hair to other petty divisions. [Second half of 1600s]

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Example Sentences

She was well aware that the “hoorays” made five cheers, not three, but there was no need to split hairs.

From Literature

Given the bottlenecks, data centers might care more about speed than split hairs about cost.

From The Wall Street Journal

It might sound pedantic to split hairs about the conspiracy theories that drive extremists like Mohn to do despicable things.

From Slate

We know that America is fascinated by zombies: “The Walking Dead,” “Fear the Walking Dead,” “Zombieland” and now — even though aficionadoes may split hairs over this — “The Last of Us.”

From Los Angeles Times

Democratic lawmakers split hairs over details of a long-debated plan to demolish the crumbling Brutalist headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C.

From New York Times