"beat a dead horse"
If someone is "beating a dead horse" it means they're talking about something that's already been answered and there's no point in talking about it again. Usually, if someone is still worrying about something that's already been agreed on, it makes other people frustrated. They'll say, "Stop beating a dead horse. Lets talk about something else." It has nothing to do with beating or with a horse. Idioms can be strange!
It does actually mean beating a dead horse - riders would whip or beat their horse to make it go faster / further.
ReplyDeleteOnce it's dead though, there's no point in beating it, you're wasting your time and will get no further for it.
If I could describe how I feel right now it’s this phrase. For me it’s not “idioms are weird” but that … this phrase is the only phrase that makes sense. I picture myself standing over a dead horse, with a bat and the directive to beat it, with shoulders down because I know that there is no point, no matter how many anyone tells me to beat that dead horse, that horse is dead man, it can’t get anymore dead, and now matter how many ways we try to justify beating the dead horse, we will always get to the same conclusion - that the horse is dead. Meaning the conversation is pointless, we both disagree, there’s nothing that can be changed, it’s in the past, and there’s no point harping on it and putting us both through anymore pain and hurt- much like beating the horse is just painful for the person doing it. And if you beat a horse or talk about an issue too much u can kill any chance of saving it to begin with, but not that we are here - it’s over.
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