つの
角
　
を
た
矯
　
め
　
て
うし
牛
　
を
ころ
殺
　
す

expression, Godan verb

Idiomatic expression.
  1. to throw the baby out with the bath water, to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel, to obsess over insignificant details and miss the larger point, to straighten the horns and kill the cow.

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
つの
角
　
を
た
矯
　
め
　
て
うし
牛
　
を
ころ
殺
　
す
 角を矯めて牛を殺す つのをためてうしをころす

Contained Kanji Breakdown

angle, corner, square
カク　かど　すみ (2nd, N2)
knife, wrapping enclosure(勹) variant
upside-down box radical (no. 13)
キョウ　ケイ (Kentei 1)
number one, line, rod radical (no. 2)
コン　シ　ジョ
two, two radical (no. 7)
ニ　ふた　ふだ (1st, N5)
rectify, straighten, correct
キョウ　た.める (Early High School, N1)
dart, arrow
や　シ (2nd, N1)
person, (人 variant)
large, big
ダイ　おお-　た (1st, N5)
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ　いっ　ひと- (1st, N5)
person
ひと　ニン　ジン (1st, N5)
high, boasting
キョウ　たか.い　たかし (Kentei Pre-1, N1)
drink
の.む　トン (Kentei Pre-1)
early death, calamity
ヨウ　オウ　カ (Kentei 1)
katakana no radical (no. 4)
ヘツ　えい　よう (Kentei 1)
mouth
くち　コウ　ク (1st, N4)
desert, border prairie, the 1st form is radical 13
キョウ　ケイ　まきがまえ
upside-down box radical (no. 13)
キョウ　ケイ (Kentei 1)
cow
うし　ギュウ　ご (2nd, N4)
person, (人 variant)
ten
ジュウ　ジッ　ジュッ (1st, N5)
kill, murder, butcher
ころ.す　サツ　あや.める (5th, N3)
kill, slaughter, murder
mow, cut grass, subdue
ガイ　ゲ　おさ.める (Kentei 1)
tree, wood
き　モク　こ- (1st, N5)
pike, windy-again radical (no. 79)
シュ　また　ほこ (Kentei 1)
table, table enclosure, table or windy radical (no. 16)
キ　きにょう (Kentei 1)
or again, furthermore, on the other hand
また　ユウ　やす (Late Jr. High, N1)