A Lost Cause
A lost cause - An undertaking doomed to fail. Two early uses of this term date from the 1860s. An item in the New York Herald of July 2, 1868, referred to the cause of the South in the American Civil War as “a lost cause.” The quotation marks appeared in the article, indicating that the writer may have been quoting a familiar phrase or perhaps Matthew Arnold’s description of Oxford University as “the home of lost causes” (in Essays in Criticism, 1865).
Related and Similar Terms
- Fool’s Errand - A needless or fruitless task.
- Sisyphean Task - A task that is endless and ineffective, named after Sisyphus, who was condemned to push a large boulder up a hill only for it to roll down every time he neared the top.
- Dead End - A path or undertaking with no prospects.
- Wild Goose Chase - A futile or hopeless search for something unattainable.
Synonyms
- Hopeless venture
- Fruitless endeavor
- No-win situation
- Dead-end effort
Antonyms
- Lucrative affair
- Sure bet
- Guaranteed success
Humor-Filled Quotes
- “Initiative often distinguish between a ’lost cause’ and meaningful engagement.”
Similar Proverbs
- “You can’t make bricks without straw.”
- “Don’t throw good money after bad.”
Literature, Books, Songs, Poetry, and Movies
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger – A novel focused on a young protagonist’s lost cause in searching for authenticity.
- 1988, Eric Carmen’s “All by Myself” – A song resonating the feeling of a forlorn cause in personal relationships.
- Hamlet by William Shakespeare – The complex and potentially hopeless dilemmas facing the protagonist mirror many lost causes.
May this collection of idioms, clichés, and expressions not only entertain and educate but also inspire you to recognize the beauty in seemingly lost causes. Remember, sometimes what seems hopeless is simply the stepping stone to a greater triumph. 🌟
Yours in whimsical wisdom,
Evangeline Evermore
