Learn English – Idiom meaning inferring too much from the available evidence

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Suppose there is a little bit of evidence available, such as a red stain on the wall, and one starts to deduce "facts" from that, for example, that someone cut their finger by a knife yesterday morning near the wall (rather similar to Sherlock Holmes), though it can also be the case that someone pierced their finger by a lancet yesterday evening. In other words, rival theories are underdetermined by the available evidence.

Is there any idiom to describe the fact that he is "draining" too much from the evidence "well", or "milking" too much from the evidence "cow"?

Best Answer

Read too much into something

to think of (something, such as a comment or situation) as having a meaning or importance that does not seem likely or reasonable