😤 Till You’re Blue in the Face: The Art of Perseverance 🌬️
Definition: To exert great effort, often to the point of frustration or exhaustion. The idiom typically reflects persistence in speaking or trying to achieve something, even when results are not forthcoming.
Similar Terms:
- Beating a dead horse: Continuing a useless effort.
- Running on fumes: Persisting even when one is close to expiring physically or emotionally.
- Hitting a wall: Reaching a point where no further progress can be made.
- Giving it your all: Putting maximum effort into something.
Proverbs and Common Phrases:
- “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”: Emphasizes the value of persistence.
- “No pain, no gain.”: Suggests that progress often requires hardship.
Synonyms:
- Persistently: Continually trying without giving up.
- Doggedly: Showing tenacity and grim persistence.
- Tenaciously: Stubbornly sticking to a task despite difficulties.
Antonyms:
- Give up: Cease to make an effort.
- Yield: Surrender under pressure.
Quotes:
- “He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying.” - Friedrich Nietzsche
- “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston S. Churchill
References in Literature, Songs, and Movies:
- Literature: “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway – A tale of relentless perseverance.
- Songs: “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey – A hymn to sticking it out.
- Movies: Rocky – The iconic story of unyielding persistence.
Prolific Authors and Works to Explore:
- Anthony Trollope, who popularized the phrase in “The Small House at Allington” (1864).
- J.K. Rowling’s example of persistence in getting “Harry Potter” published.
Quiz Time!
### Which of these phrases means to make a great effort?
- [x] Till you're blue in the face
- [ ] Kicking tires on a rainy day
- [ ] Planting bananas in the snow
- [ ] Dancing with unicorns
> **Explanation:** "Till you're blue in the face" means to exert great effort, often to the point of frustration.
### Pick the phrase that reflects futile effort:
- [ ] Piecing together a puzzle
- [x] Beating a dead horse
- [ ] Baking a cake
- [ ] Driving to the store
> **Explanation:** "Beating a dead horse" reflects continuing a futile effort long past any productive result.
### True or False: "Running on fumes" also conveys a sense of great, nearly exhausting effort.
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** True. "Running on fumes" means continuing to work even when you are nearly out of energy.
Farewell Thought: In the spirit of timeless perseverance, always strive for greatness and remember, “No endeavor is too small when pursued with maximum effort.”
📝 Written by Lexi Verbosus
📅 Published on: 2023-10-03
