IdiomDaily Life
Arabic
Arabicيضرب في حديد بارد (yadrib fi hadid barid)
Meaning: To waste effort on a hopeless task.
Literally: To strike cold iron
Example: “محاولة إقناعه بترك التدخين ضرب في حديد بارد.” — Trying to get him to quit smoking is beating a dead horse.
English equivalent: To beat a dead horse
Equivalents in other languages
Croatian: Mlatiti praznu slamu Literally: To thresh empty straw
Lithuanian: Pilstyti iš tuščio į kiaurą Literally: To pour from the empty into the leaky
English: beat a dead horse
Origin: A blacksmith can shape iron only while it is red-hot; cold iron does not give under the hammer. Striking cold iron is wasting effort on something that will not change. English has the reverse advice, "strike while the iron is hot." No first use is documented.
More Arabic idioms
- القرد بعين أمه غزال (al-qird bi-ʿayn ummihi ghazāl) Parents see their children as beautiful no matter what.
- اللي ما يعرف الصقر يشويه (illi ma yaʿrif al-ṣaqr yishwīh) Failing to recognize something valuable and destroying it.
- على قد لحافك مد رجليك (ʿalā qadd liḥāfik midd rijlayk) Live within your means.
- رمى بنفسه في التهلكة (ramā bi-nafsihi fī at-tahluka) Someone deliberately puts themselves in danger or a hopeless situation through recklessne…
- أكل العيش والملح مع شخص (Akal al-'aysh wal-milh ma'a shakhs) Shared intimate bond or deep friendship forged through shared hardship and simple living…
- حط في بطنك بطيخة صيفي (ḥuṭṭ fī baṭnak baṭīkha ṣayfī) Relax completely; do not worry about a thing.
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