you cannot get a quart into a pint pot
- you cannot get a quart into a pint pot
A quart is an imperial measure of two pints. The metaphorical phrase to get (or put) a quart into a pint pot is also used.
1896 Daily News 23 July 4 They had been too ambitious. They had attempted what he might describe in homely phrase as putting a quart into a pint pot.
1934 C. F. GREGG Execution of Diamond Deutsch xi. He whistled thoughtfully. ‘You can’t get a quart into a pint pot—is that it?’ asked the South African officer, quick to see the reason.
1948 P. M. WARNER Embroidery Mary xi. When they..got down to..packing it was found to be a case of ‘quarts into pint pots will not go.’
1974 W. FOLEY Child in Forest I. 101 A quart may not go into a pint pot, but my feet had to go into those boots.
Proverbs new dictionary.
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you can't get a quart into a pint pot — ► you can t get a quart into a pint pot Brit. proverb you cannot achieve the impossible. Main Entry: ↑quart … English terms dictionary
quart into a pint pot — (UK) If you try to put or get a quart into a pint pot, you try to put too much in a small space. (1 quart = 2 pints) (Dorking School Dictionary) *** To say that you can t put a quart into a pint pot means that you cannot fit something… … English Idioms & idiomatic expressions
get — see you cannot get blood from a stone be careful what you pray for, you might get it if you don’t like the heat, get out of the kitchen if you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas don’t get mad, get even … Proverbs new dictionary
pot — see if ifs and ands were pots and pans, there’d be no work for tinkers’ hands a little pot is soon hot you cannot get a quart into a pint pot a watched pot never boils … Proverbs new dictionary
pint — see you cannot get a quart into a pint pot … Proverbs new dictionary
quart — see you cannot get a quart into a pint pot … Proverbs new dictionary
Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, Thematic Index — absence absence makes the heart grow fonder he who is absent is always in the wrong the best of friends must part blue are the hills that are far away distance lends enchantment to the view out of sight, out of mind … Proverbs new dictionary
