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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Vocabulary

Get water out of a stone

Hi all,
I really want to know what "get water out of a stone" means.
Thank you!
  

Top answer

This phrase is used to say that something is not possible. "You can't get water out of a stone". It is also used in a humorous way to suggest that something is very difficult.

— LouiseT

  • This phrase is used to say that something is not possible.
  • "You can't get water out of a stone".
  • It is also used in a humorous way to suggest that something is very difficult.
  • Getting money out of Fred is like trying to get water out of a stone.
  • So it is not impossible to get money out of Fred but very difficult and he certainly does not like to give.
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5 Answers
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This phrase is used to say that something is not possible.

"You can't get water out of a stone".

It is also used in a humorous way to suggest that something is very difficult.

Getting money out of Fred is like trying to get water out of a stone.
So it is not impossible to get money out of Fred but very difficult and he certainly does not like to give.
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Hi,
I've neve heard the idiom 'get water out of a stone'.
The standard expression is You can't get blood from a stone.

Clive
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I have heard both in use. Maybe one is more frequently used in some countries than others.
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anonymousI really want to know what "get water out of a stone" means.

It's the same as "You can't get blood out of a beet", or "turnip", which is how I've heard it. It's a reference to something that is impossible, frequently to do with getting money from people who don't have it.

The landlord has notified me three times this month that my rent is

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