split hairs

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.”

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

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

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

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

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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.”

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

Read more on New York Times