# Idioms relating to things impossible, inadvisable or otherwise to be avoided. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 30, 2008, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119 "2008-05-30T10:57:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/41 "2008-05-31T00:18:56Z")
This thread isn’t worth a fart in a windstorm. Or a spit in the ocean. Or the powder to blow it up. (I collect idioms a bit myself.) ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/42 "2008-05-31T00:40:02Z")
If this thread were measuring brain power, we wouldn’t have enough powder here to blow our nose. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/43 "2008-05-31T00:43:08Z")
[QUOTE=Tapioca Dextrin] I’m not going to touch this OP with a ten foot pole. [/QUOTE] I wouldn’t touch it with a twelve foot Lithuanian! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/44 "2008-05-31T01:12:41Z")
Lots of replies already, I see. Nice to know we’re not asleep at the wheel or letting the grass grow under our feet. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/45 "2008-05-31T02:40:45Z")
I got thinking about a 'wild goose chase ’ the other day, most people would imagine lots of motion, chaos, noise etc… These things would be related to a farm raised goose being chased. A wild goose would simply fly away; it’s completely futile ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/46 "2008-05-31T03:21:27Z")
Don’t hold your breath. It’ll be a cold day in hell before you get blood from _that_ turnip! You’re barking up the wrong tree. Cause you can’t fight fire with city hall. And you can’t have everything. And some days, you just can’t win. OHNO!! APHORISMS!! ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/47 "2008-05-31T03:58:33Z")
As a recent fortune cookie said: You _can_ put all your eggs in one basket, just guard the basket closely. OK it’s not quite what the OP wanted. Whatever whatever I do what I want! ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/48 "2008-05-31T08:34:18Z")
From the once world renowned Acme Exploding Newsgroup, this, uh, nugget of wisdom: “posting html to usenet makes about as much sense as taking a shit in a urinal.” I’m kinda attached to the phrase “going around Robin Hood’s barn” for taking the long way or the hard way. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/49 "2008-05-31T08:58:07Z")
This thread has turned into a real curate’s egg I would add some more gems to this this list, but it would be like a broken pencil… pointless ---
**Author:** ![The\_Them](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@The\_Them](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Them)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/50 "2008-05-31T09:05:59Z")
Feh. You guys are throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Putting the cart before the horse is always a bad approach. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/51 "2008-05-31T09:52:42Z")
I can’t work out if people are putting age before beauty, pearls before swine, or shit before the shovel. Ah well, can’t wring blood from a stone - which, when rolling, gathers no moss. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/52 "2008-05-31T11:09:13Z")
Come on gang, collecting these is like sweeping back the ocean with a broom. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/53 "2008-05-31T11:27:56Z")
Maybe we should stop flogging a dead horse, after all, the cake isn’t worth the candle. Anyway, most of the phrases used so far are about as much use as a chocolate teapot. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/54 "2008-05-31T11:30:49Z")
Better dead than Red. Better Red than dead. ---
**Author:** ![SparrowHawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@SparrowHawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SparrowHawk)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/55 "2008-05-31T13:58:01Z")
I must admit I’m curious as to what this list is good for. Seems like it’s just trying to sew a button on a custard pie. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/56 "2008-05-31T15:22:50Z")
It’s dead as a Dodo. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/57 "2008-05-31T16:12:28Z")
I’d like to contribute to this thread, but I’d have about as much chance as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. ---
**Author:** ![phil417](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6bbea6/32.png) [@phil417](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phil417)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/58 "2008-06-01T01:30:04Z")
I’m reminded of an ex-supervisor’s favorite: “Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?” Love, Phil ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/59 "2008-06-01T01:32:41Z")
How’s about a new one: “We just have to wait til the Democratic nomination process is over, and then things will calm down”? ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119/60 "2008-06-01T02:05:48Z")
You can’t put toothpaste back in the tube. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idioms-relating-to-things-impossible-inadvisable-or-otherwise-to-be-avoided/451119.md?page=4)