Japanese

ひようしょうし
Meaning: ruining what matters by obsessing over minor details; protecting the leaves while injuring the branch
Part of Speech: Noun, Four-character idiom Alternative Readings: はをかばいてえだをきずつく

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Example

細かい不具合を直すために基幹機能まで壊した改修は、庇葉傷枝だった。
The revision that tried to fix small glitches but even broke core functions was a case of ruining what mattered by obsessing over minor details.

Usage Notes

A literary four-character idiom for well-intended overcorrection that damages the larger whole.

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