chercher midi à quatorze heures

to make a simple thing unnecessarily complicated

This expression means to complicate something that should be straightforward.

Ne cherche pas midi à quatorze heures, c'est très simple.

Don't make it complicated, it's very simple.

Started as 'chercher midi à onze heures' in 16th century France. By the 17th century it became 'quatorze heures,' probably because clocks had improved and people could more easily tell when the sun was at its highest.