bridge too far

1 8.5

An action or plan that tries to do too much and is likely to fail

idiom

Informal

: demasiado ambicioso

The proposal to increase working hours without raising wages seems like a bridge too far for the employees.

But Donald Trump's saying like vermin, that's a bridge too far.

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Examples

No, that's, that is a, that's a bridge too far, far too far.
I think your characterization that any "too snarky" beliefs must be from a "submissive non-thinking person" goes a bridge too far and is an example of judging a person rather than an idea, and taking this bridge is an example of the blind spot of not recognizing what could be perceived as hostile.

Blog text (17)
Even they who hate me thought that this was a bridge too far for them to cross.
That seems like a bridge too far even for the Supreme Court.
As you know, I've always thought that we tried to go a bridge too far.

A Bridge Too Far (1977)
He'd certainly be the justice most likely to decide that this was a bridge too far.

Blog text (17)
I've been anything is possible, but a lot of people go A bridge too far with their speculation.

Anything Goes With James English
Second, whereas policymakers see a focus on process as "a bridge too far," political and policy scientists often have found that a focus on bureaucratic process is a way to lose sight of the forest for the trees.

Academic text (2001)
The UNSCOM experience suggests that all efforts should be geared toward prevention, because in terms of power projection, counter-proliferation is a bridge too far.

Academic text (2000)
And 50 years later, race is still a bridge too far; it’s race that’s peeling corporate support from ALEC (click to see why).

Blog text (17)

Synonyms

overkill

vsbridge too far

Informal

40 5.4

Using more than you need so it is unnecessary

is an overly ambitious demand likely to fail, not just excessive use

overextension

vsbridge too far

1 5.8

Taking on more work or responsibility than can be handled

is a too ambitious demand likely to fail rather than mere excess

How Ambitious

bridge too far

Informal

1 8.5

ambitious

84 3.9

Surface Forms

bridge too far singular

bridges too far plural

Morphology

bridge + too + far

The components 'bridge' (a link) and 'too far' (beyond an acceptable limit) give a plausible image of overreaching, so a learner who knows the words might guess the phrase refers to something pushed beyond limits. However, the conventionalized idiomatic meaning 'an effort that is overly ambitious and likely to fail' relies on figurative use and cultural context (and the fixed phrase structure), so the connection is only partially predictable.

Etymology

Bridge too far comes from World War II. In a famous attack soldiers tried to take a line of bridges, and the last one was simply too far to reach, so the plan failed. So a bridge too far means something 'too ambitious' and 'likely to fail'.