not get off the ground
Meaning: To fail to make any progress at all.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The community garden never got off the ground for lack of water.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: An aircraft that never leaves the runway. The figurative use is common from the mid-20th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- German: auf keinen grünen Zweig kommen — literally: to not come onto any green branch
More idioms — Daily Life
- do nothing by halves — To commit fully to whatever one does.
- shut someone up — To force someone to stop talking.
- a pack of lies — A story that is entirely untrue.
- be pocket change — To be a trivial amount of money for the person paying.
- be a known quantity — To be someone whose character or ability is already understood.
- take the rap — To accept blame or punishment, often for someone else.
More English idioms
- green with envy — Extremely jealous.
- keep someone on a short leash — To keep someone under close control.
- not for all the tea in China — Under no circumstances.
- rein someone in — To bring someone under control.
- keep one's feet on the ground — To stay realistic and unaffected by success.
- become second nature — To become so familiar that one does it without thinking.