The Last Straw Broke a Camel's Back
Straw is dried cereal stalks. Two famous idioms use it, and a straw poll is named after a different image entirely.
Straw is the dried stalks of cereal plants, used for bedding and thatching, and also a tube for drinking. Three idioms use it for lightness: *the last straw* is the one that breaks the camel's back, *clutching at straws* describes desperate hope, and a *straw poll* is named from throwing straw in the air to see which way the wind blows. All three depend on straw weighing almost nothing. *Straw man* is an argument built weak on purpose so it can be knocked down.
- Dried cereal stalks. *A bale of straw.*
- A drinking tube. *A paper straw.*
- The last straw — the final burden. *The last straw.*
- Straw poll — an informal vote. *A straw poll.*
- Old English — *streaw*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | straw | Straw. |
| Plural | straws | Straws. |
| Compound | strawberry | A strawberry. |
| Compound | straw man | A straw man. |
| Old English | streaw | Straw. |
- The barn was full of straw.Farming.
- That was the last straw.Idiom.
- They took a straw poll.Voting.
Straw and hay are not the same
- Straw — hollow dried stalks left after grain is harvested
- Hay — grass cut and dried while still green, for feeding
- Straw is bedding, hay is food
- Straw is yellow and coarse, hay is greener and softer
- Feeding straw provides bulk but very little nutrition
Old English *streaw*, of Germanic origin, related to *strew*, from the practice of scattering it on floors.
What is the difference between straw and hay?
Straw is the dried stalk left after grain harvest and is used for bedding. Hay is grass cut green and dried for feeding animals.
Why is an informal vote called a straw poll?
From throwing a piece of straw into the air to see which way the wind is blowing.