set/cast/etched in stone

[Daruma]

Hello.

Definition of stone, Macmillan Online Dictionary: Free American English Dictionary and Thesaurus
set/cast/etched in stone
: permanent and impossible to change
These are just a few suggestions – they're not cast in stone.

Can "written in stone" and "carved in stone" be used in the sense of "set/cast/etched in stone"?

Thank you.

[PROESL]

Originally Posted by Daruma

Hello.

Definition of stone, Macmillan Online Dictionary: Free American English Dictionary and Thesaurus
set/cast/etched in stone
: permanent and impossible to change
These are just a few suggestions – they're not cast in stone.

Can "written in stone" and "carved in stone" be used in the sense of "set/cast/etched in stone"?

Thank you.

I would say that "carved in stone" is possible, but "written in stone" would be strange. The verbs set, cast, etch, and carve all indicate that someone used a tool to chip away pieces of the stone (or affected the surface of the stone) in order to form the shapes of the letters. In this way, we understand that something is permanent - it can't be erased.

It appears in Google, but I don't think "written in stone" would be a good substitute verb for this particular expression. It could be that people say, "It's not carved in stone" to mean "It's not permanent" or "It's not been decided yet".

"written in stone" - Google Search

We could say written in ink. But if we say "written in stone", I might think there's a such thing as "liquid stone'.

[PROESL]

Originally Posted by Daruma

Hello.

Hello,