не видеть дальше своего носа

• НЕ ВИДЕТЬ ДАЛЬШЕ СВОЕГО <(СВОЕГО) СОБСТВЕННОГО> НОСА coll, disapprov

[VP; subj: human; usu. pres; the verb may take the final position, otherwise fixed WO]

=====

⇒ to be narrow-minded, limited in one's outlook, fail to see the full scope of a situation:

- X не видит дальше своего носа{{}}≈ X doesn't (can't) see farther than the end of his (own) nose;

- X doesn't (can't) see beyond (farther than) his nose. [Астров:] Все они, наши добрые знакомые, мелко мыслят, мелко чувствуют и не видят дальше своего носа - просто-напросто глупы (Чехов 3). [A.:] These good friends of ours all think their shallow little thoughts and have their shallow little feelings...not one of them can see farther than the end of his own nose In fact they're just plain stupid (3c).

     ♦ Да, Терещенко дальше своего носа не видит, мелкий провинциальный адвокат, неспособен ухватить главное... (Рыбаков 1). Yes, Tereshchenko couldn't see beyond his nose, he was a petty provincial lawyer who couldn't grasp the main point... (1a).