blood from a stone
Impossible to obtain
Blood from a stone describes something impossible to obtain, especially from an unwilling or incapable source.
The phrase usually appears with verbs of extraction: You can't get blood from a stone.
It applies to money from the broke, emotion from the cold, or cooperation from the stubborn.
The variant blood from a turnip carries the same meaning.
- impossibleIncapable of occurring
- mission impossibleUnachievable objective
- lost causeEndeavor certain to fail
- tilting at windmillsAttacking nonexistent threats
- wild goose chaseHopeless pursuit of nothing
herding cats · obtaining · money · chasing rainbows · pulling teeth · uphill battle · poor · wringing · challenge · squeezing · extracting · frustration · analogy · futility · perseverance · reluctance · stinginess · skinflint
blood from a stoneeasy pickings
Effortlessly obtained gains
low-hanging fruit · like taking candy from a baby · a walk in the park · a breeze · child's play
blood from a stonecornucopia
Abundance symbol, horn-shaped
cash cow · money tree · golden goose · gift that keeps on giving · horn of plenty
blood, stone, bloods, bloody, bloodied, bloodying, bloodless, bloodline, bloodstream