the last straw

Cultural  

1. The last in a series of grievances or burdens that finally exceeds the limits of endurance: “The management has given me nothing but trouble since I took this job, and now they've cut my benefits! Well, that's the last straw: I quit!” It comes from an old expression, “the straw that broke the camel's back.”

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last straw, the Idioms  

1. The final annoyance or setback, which even though minor makes one lose patience. For example, I could put up with his delays and missed deadlines, but when he claimed the work was unimportant—that was the last straw! This term is a shortening of the straw that broke the camel's back, which conveys a vivid image of an overloaded animal being given one slight additional weight. The expression dates from the mid-1800s, and replaced the earlier the last feather that breaks the horse's back.

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Example Sentences

The shock is the last straw; the building’s integrity is officially compromised.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

It was the last straw, the finishing touch.

From Leonore Stubbs by Walford, L. B.

It was the last straw, the final piece of humiliation.

From The Harbor of Doubt by Gage, George W.

It was the last straw; the captain felt he had to land and taste ice on his tongue again or die.

From The Argus Pheasant by Beecham, John Charles

It was the last straw, the crowning blasphemy.

From Queed by Crosby, Raymond Moreau