
ProverbChallenge
American origin1931
You can't fight City Hall
Meaning: Entrenched bureaucratic power overwhelms individual resistance; institutional forces outmatch personal effort.
Origin: An American saying about the futility of battling government bureaucracy. By 1931 the humorist Arthur "Bugs" Baer could call it "the oldest hunk of grammar in existence," and it is often linked to the political machines of 19th-century New York.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Шла Саша по шоссе и сосала сушку. (Shla Sasha po shosse i sosala sushku.) A merciless 'sh/s/ss' collision — Sasha walking, sucking, and all those sibilants.
- Карл у Клары украл кораллы, Клара у Карла украла кларнет. (Karl u Klary ukral korally, Klara u Karla ukrala klarnet.) A 'kl/kr/r' drama — crime, countercrimes, and consonant clusters all at once.
- Корабли лавировали, лавировали, да не вылавировали. (Korabli lavirovali, lavirovali, da ne vylavirovali.) One verb, three inflections, pure 'lav/vir' torture — the word grows with every repetitio…
Keep exploring