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Flogging A Dead Horse
Flogging a dead horse (or beating a dead horse in American English) is an idiom meaning that a particular effort is futile. Early usage The expression is said to have been popularized by the English politician and orator John Bright. Speaking in the House of Commons in March 1859 on Bright's efforts to promote parliamentary reform, Lord Elcho remarked that Bright had not been "satisfied with the results of his winter campaign" and that "a saying was attributed to him rightthat he adfound he was 'flogging a dead horse'." The earliest instance cited in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' dates from 1872, when '' The Globe'' newspaper, reporting the Prime Minister, William Gladstone's, futile efforts to defend the Ecclesiastical Courts and Registries Bill in the Commons, observed that he "might be said to have rehearsed that particularly lively operation known as flogging a dead horse". Earlier related terms The phrase may have originated in 17th-century slang, when a horse symb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Man Sitting On A Dead Horse (1876 - 1884) (retouched)
A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy. Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome, X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome, Y chromosome from the father. Sex differentiation of the male fetus is governed by the SRY gene on the Y chromosome. During puberty, hormones which stimulate androgen production result in the development of secondary sexual characteristics that result in even more differences between the sexes. These include greater muscle mass, greater height, the growth of facial hair and a lower body fat composition. Male anatomy is distinguished from female anatomy by the male reproductive system, which includes the testicles, sperm ducts, prostate gland and epididymides, and human penis, penis. Secondary sex characteristics include a narrower pelvis and hips, and smaller breasts and Nipple, nipples. Throughout human history, traditional gender roles hav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
