Friday, April 12, 2013

cliché: banging your head against a brick wall

Meaning: repetitively doing something that will result in no positive effect (definition).


Example: My son had already made up his mind, and trying to change his decision was like banging my head against a brick wall.

Origins: Could not find one.

Rewrites:
  • hitting your head against a cement wall
  • yelling at a brick wall
  • sparring with a brick wall
  • having a staring contest with a masonry wall

Discussion: I was really surprised that I couldn’t find an origin for this one, but I suspect it’s buried in some English garden. The meaning is apparent, without an origin.

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