You can try until you are blue in the face!
You can try until you are blue in the face!
If you say something until you are blue in the face, you keep repeating it again and again but no one seems to listen to you. The attempt is not successful.
I heard a speech recently that mentioned this expression. The speaker was giving examples of companies that use compliance rather than stimulating engagement. The speaker said:”You can try until your blue in the face to recruit people with initiative but it will never work if your corporate culture is one of hidden compliance.’
Etymology
This idiom comes from oxygen deprivation. If you don’t receive oxygen, your face will ultimately turn blue.
If you talk incessantly and forget to take a breath, your face will turn blue thus the expression ‘until you are blue in the face.’
How do we use it in context?
- You can speak until you are blue in the face but she will never believe you.
- They can try until they are blue in the face but I will not change my mind on this matter.
What is the Italian equivalent?
Puoi parlare fino a domani. = You can talk until you are blue in the face.
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LEM..xo!
