Example: Il ne faut pas chercher midi à quatorze heures pour résoudre ce problème.
Definition
"Chercher midi à quatorze heures" is a French expression meaning to complicate things unnecessarily or to look for difficulties where there are none. It suggests overthinking simple problems instead of finding straightforward solutions.
Translations
To overcomplicate things
Buscar tres pies al gato
Het onnodig ingewikkeld maken
Buscar tres peus al gat
Alles unnötig verkomplizieren
Etymology
The phrase "chercher midi à quatorze heures" literally translates to "looking for noon at 2 p.m.", which is impossible because noon only occurs once at 12 p.m. It humorously highlights the futility of searching for something in the wrong place or time, emphasizing needless complication.
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"Chercher midi à quatorze heures" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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To overcomplicate things