| 单词 | to cut blocks with a razor |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto cut blocks with a razor P5. to cut blocks with a razor and variants: to do something absurdly incongruous; (also) to apply one's abilities or resources to no purpose. Now rare.In quot. 1727 to hew Blocks with a Razor is used similatively as a type of such activity. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > misuse > [verb (intransitive)] > use means absurdly to cut blocks with a razor1774 1727 J. Swift Thoughts Var. Subj. in J. Swift et al. Misc.: 1st Vol. 339 To endeavour to work upon the Vulgar with fine Sense, is like attempting to hew Blocks with a Razor.] 1774 O. Goldsmith Retaliation 42 'Twas his fate, unemploy'd, or in play, Sir, To eat mutton cold, and cut blocks with a razor. 1878 Truth 6 June 714/2 He saw that a further attempt to cut a block with a razor would be unavailing. 1973 Amer. Lit. Realism 6 75 Cutting blocks with a razor is proverbially unprofitable, and a million-magnifying microscope does not help a bit to tell the time by the City Hall clock. < as lemmas |
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