proverb · Words worth keeping
No man can flay a stone.
No man can flay a stone.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Do not expect to obtain something from a source that cannot supply it. Trying to skin a stone makes an impossible demand visible, while inviting a check that the limitation is real rather than merely assumed.
Example
A group asks a room-booking volunteer for a refund decision they have no authority to make, then redirects the request to the office responsible for payments.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The stone has no skin to remove, so flaying it cannot produce the wanted result in the image. Figuratively, the saying can challenge a request aimed at a person, process or resource that lacks the capacity required. More insistence does not necessarily create that capacity. Before calling a request impossible, however, check what is actually available: a different method, support or another source may change the situation. The proverb should not become an excuse to dismiss a person’s potential or avoid an obligation that can fairly be met. Its useful question asks whether this particular source can genuinely provide this particular thing.
When to use it
Use it when a request appears to be aimed at a source without the relevant capacity or authority.
Keep in mind
Check the actual limitation and alternatives; do not assume that a person is incapable or exempt from fair obligations.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English