Background: In the Middle East, camels were used to carry heavy things. If the camel was carrying too much, one more item on it's back could cause it to fall down and not get up. Maybe something as small as a straw could cause the camel to fall down.
Proper Usage: Many times we use "That is" or "That was" when we say this idiom. Another pattern used is "The straw that broke the camel's back was when..." This idiom can also be shorten to "the final straw" or "the last straw".
Example Sentences:
- Each time the government raised taxes, the people got angrier and angrier. The straw that broke the camel's back was when the government added a tax on drinking water. Because of the water tax, many people started to protest in the streets.
- During the trip to Florida, the children complained the entire time. When the children complained that they didn't like the hotel room, the father screamed, "That's the last straw!" He then took the family back to the airport and they flew home.
Discussion Questions:
For the following questions, talk about real life experiences or examples from movies, TV shows, or books.
- Talk about a time when a person got angrier and angrier until they finally got so upset, that they started to scream and yell. What was the last straw?
- Talk about a time when lots of little bad things happened until there was finally a major problem. What was the straw that broke the camel's back?
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