You can't get blood out of a stone

Definitions

• discourage someone
  Advise against engaging in a particular activity or task, cautioning that it will not result in any positive outcome or benefit

• express impossibility
  Convey the idea that it is not possible to extract something (usually money or resources) from someone or something that does not have it to give

Examples of You can't get blood out of a stone

• The company refused to give us any more information, claiming they had already provided us with everything we needed. We were left with nowhere else to turn and were essentially out of luck. This is like trying to extract blood from a stone - it's an impossible task.

  The phrase "you can't get blood out of a stone" is an idiom that means it's futile to try to obtain something that cannot be obtained. In the context of the example, the company had already provided all the necessary information, so there was no more to be had. It's like trying to extract blood from a statue; it's impossible because there's no life or vitality in the object. The phrase emphasizes the frustration and futility of a fruitless endeavor.

• The suspect denied any involvement in the robbery, claiming he had nothing to do with it. But when the police found no evidence to support his alibi, they accused him of being a stone-cold liar, implying that just as you can't get blood out of a stone, you can't get any further information or evidence out of someone who's completely unhelpful.

  This idiom is commonly used to describe someone who's completely unwilling or unable to provide any further information or evidence. It's an acknowledgement that some people are just not forthcoming or cooperative, and that trying to extract information from them is futile.

• The company had invested millions in the new project, but it consistently failed to produce results. The directors were at a loss, wondering what they could do to turn things around. They realized that trying to squeeze blood out of a stone was a fruitless endeavor, and ultimately had to pull the plug on the project.

  This idiom is often used in a business context to describe a situation where a company is trying to extract profits or returns from an enterprise that's inherently flawed or unprofitable. It's a way of acknowledging that sometimes it's simply not possible to make a success out of a losing proposition.

• The politician was well-known for his lack of charisma and public speaking skills. His opponents used the expression "you can't get blood out of a stone" to ridicule him, suggesting that just as you can't expect blood to flow from a stone, you can't expect a good speech from someone who seems to lack both the desire and the ability to engage and inspire an audience.

  This idiom is commonly used to describe someone who's struggling with a particular task or skill, highlighting the fact that there are certain innate abilities or characteristics that are necessary to succeed in that area. It's a way of acknowledging that some people are simply not cut out for certain types of work or activities.

• The artist spent months working on the sculpture, but it seemed to lack the vitality and energy that she was striving to capture. She felt like she was trying to squeeze blood out of a stone, an impossible task that seemed to defy all logic and reason.

  This idiom is frequently used to describe a creative endeavor that's proving to be particularly challenging or difficult. It's a way of acknowledging that sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to bring a project to life or infuse it with the quality and energy that you're looking for.

• The CEO promised our sales team that they would receive a higher commission for meeting their sales targets. However, after months of hard work, we barely saw a raise in our sales figures. When we approached the CEO to discuss our findings, he simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "You can't get blood out of a stone."

  This idiom is used here to emphasize the fact that the CEO was unwilling to provide any concrete explanations or solutions for our sales team's dismal performance. It highlights his apathetic attitude towards our concerns and his unwillingness to take any action to address the issue. In short, we were expecting more from him, but all we got was a blank stare. Unfortunately, we're left feeling like we're excessively mining a stone for blood - it's an impossible task.

Conclusion

This idiom is used to discourage someone from pursuing an unfruitful endeavor or to express the impossibility of obtaining something from a source that does not possess it. It conveys the idea that some things are simply not possible or not worth pursuing, and that one should not waste time or effort trying to achieve them.

Origin of "You can't get blood out of a stone"

The origin of the idiom "You can't get blood out of a stone" is not entirely clear, but it is believed to have originated in the 15th century. The phrase may have arisen from the difficulty of extracting blood from a stone, as stones are not living creatures and do not contain blood. Over time, the idiom has come to be used in a figurative sense to express the idea of impossibility or futility.

The phrase has been used in various forms in literature and has become a common expression in the English language, conveying the concept of the impossibility of achieving a certain outcome or obtaining something from a source that does not possess it. Overall, the idiom has stood the test of time and continues to be widely used in everyday language.