sentinelranger
New member
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2022
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- American English
- Home Country
- United States
- Current Location
- United States
I just happened to come across this idiom while reading a book a few hours ago; I've looked in some dictionaries but each one gives a varying definition of this idiom.
Take The Free Dictionary, for example:
"To do something that is very hard to accomplish, especially when dealing with other people in some way.
Good luck getting a group of toddlers to sit still—it's like getting blood out of a stone."
Cambridge Dictionary, on the other hand, defines the idiom as:
"to make someone give or tell you something, when it is extremely difficult because of the character or mood of the person or organization you are dealing with:"
What's with the supposed inconsistency with these dictionary entries? I still have a hard time trying to understand the true meaning of this idiom. Please help
Take The Free Dictionary, for example:
"To do something that is very hard to accomplish, especially when dealing with other people in some way.
Good luck getting a group of toddlers to sit still—it's like getting blood out of a stone."
Cambridge Dictionary, on the other hand, defines the idiom as:
"to make someone give or tell you something, when it is extremely difficult because of the character or mood of the person or organization you are dealing with:"
What's with the supposed inconsistency with these dictionary entries? I still have a hard time trying to understand the true meaning of this idiom. Please help