Meaning & Analysis
The act of attempting to extract a liquid, such as water or blood, from a dry, hard object like a stone or flint—a physically impossible task.
Insights
Absolute Futility
Represents any endeavor that is inherently impossible and doomed to fail, highlighting the pointlessness of the effort.
Unyielding Resistance
Describes the act of trying to elicit a resource—such as money, compassion, or information—from a person or entity that is completely unresponsive, stingy, or emotionally cold.
Extreme Scarcity
Symbolizes an attempt to obtain something from a source that is entirely depleted or barren, underscoring a complete lack of available resources.
Desperate Measures
The variation "wringing blood from a stone" particularly suggests a cruel or desperate act of trying to extract life or value from something that has none to give, often implying exploitation.
Classical Origins
The proverb's roots in classical antiquity, cited by Erasmus, demonstrate its long-standing role in Western thought as a metaphor for impossible demands. The original Latin reference to "pumice" evokes an especially dry and porous stone, amplifying the absurdity.
Psychological Persistence
The proverb captures the human tendency to persist in hopeless tasks, whether out of desperation, stubbornness, or a failure to recognize the impossible. It serves as a critique of misplaced effort.
Material Symbolism
The use of "stone" or "flint" powerfully symbolizes hardness, lifelessness, and an unyielding nature. Flint, known for producing fire but not water, adds a layer of irony about latent potential versus actual resources.
Cross-Cultural Analogs
The core concept is universal, as seen in parallel proverbs like "you can't get blood out of a turnip." This shows a shared human understanding of futility, adapted with culturally relevant symbols of barrenness.
Rhetorical Devices
Hyperbole
The central rhetorical device is exaggeration. The absolute impossibility of the act serves as a powerful hyperbole for any task that is extremely difficult or utterly futile.
Visceral Imagery
The physical image of squeezing a rock to get liquid is stark and universally understood, creating a memorable and impactful metaphor for a pointless struggle.
Symbolism
"Stone" acts as a potent symbol for intransigence and barrenness, while "water" or "blood" represents the vital, life-sustaining resource being sought.
Transcription
Quotations
Aquam e pumice postulas.
Thou shalt as soon find out oil out of a flint stone as find any such thing in me.
A pumice aquam querere, To seeke a thynge of a man that he hath not.
To wring water out of the Pommice.
Thou doest wring water out of the flint.
Faith I see it is as hard to get water out of a flint, As to get him to haue a bout with me.
For who'le wrest water from a flintie stone?
Hoping to wringe some water from a flinte.
It is impossible to draw out Oyle of the Poncea Stone.
To live by ones wits, to get water out of a flintstone.
To go about to fetch bloud out of stones, viz. to attempt what is impossible.
Cross References
- See DÜr., II, no. 92.
- B466 There is no blood to be got out of a turnip.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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