Where did the saying flogging a dead horse come from?

The origin of the expression ‘beat a dead horse’ comes from the mid-19th century, when the practice of beating horses to make them go faster was often viewed as acceptable. To beat a dead horse would be pointless, as it wouldn’t be able to go anywhere.

Are we flogging a dead horse?

Flogging a dead horse (also beating a dead horse) is an Anglophone idiom that means that a particular effort is futile, a waste of time without a positive outcome, e.g. such as flogging a dead horse, which will not compel him to useful work.

What does the idiom bread and butter mean?

1a : being as basic as the earning of one’s livelihood bread-and-butter issues. b(1) : reliable our bread-and-butter repertoire. (2) : dependable as a source of income a company’s bread-and-butter products. 2 : sent or given as thanks for hospitality a bread-and-butter letter.

What does the idiom eye on the ball mean?

keep one’s eye on
Definition of keep one’s eye on the ball informal. : to continue thinking about or giving attention to something important : to stay focused She really needs to keep her eye on the ball if she wants to win the election.

Where did the phrase ‘flog a dead horse’ come from?

This dates from the 17th century and is referred to in Richard Brome’s play The Antipodes, first performed in 1638 and printed in 1640: That way for a dead horse, as one would say! Our present meaning, in the phrase ‘flog a dead horse’, which is sometimes expressed as ‘beat a dead horse’, is quite different.

What does it mean to flog a horse?

The idiom comes from the fact that flogging a horse in this condition (dead or dying) would not cause it to move or anything otherwise worthwhile to happen.

Was the teacher flogging a dead horse?

The teacher was flogging a dead horse when he lectured the students about the dangers of too much technology – they were glued to their smartphones while he spoke. The phrase first appeared in print in 1859 in a report of a UK parliamentary debate.

What is the meaning of the phrase ‘dead horse’?

Earlier meaning. This phrase was slang for “work charged before it is executed”. This use of ‘dead horse’ to refer to pay that was issued before the work was done was an allusion to using one’s money to buy a useless thing (metaphorically, “a dead horse”). Most men paid in advance apparently either wasted the money on drink or other such vices,…