flog a dead horse

Verb

 * 1)  To attempt to get more out of something that cannot give more; to attempt to arouse fresh interest in something that is either hopeless or already settled.
 * 2)  To attempt to get extra work out of a ship's crew during the dead horse period.

Synonyms

 * spit in the wind

Translations

 * Estonian: surnud hobust peksta, tühja tööd tegema, viljatut ideed uuesti üles võtma
 * Finnish: piiskata kuollutta hevosta
 * German: auf etwas herumreiten; seine Zeit verschwenden, sich vergeblich bemühen
 * Hungarian: vesztegeti az idejét, mint halottnak a csók, falra hányt borsó, feleslegesen igyekszik/erőlteti, lezárt témán lovagol
 * Italian: sprecare tempo, è fatica sprecata, è una battaglia persa
 * Kikuyu: kũhũra maaĩ na ndĩrĩ
 * Malay: mencari jejak dalam air
 * Persian:
 * Polish: robić coś na próżno, zrobić coś na próżno
 * Portuguese:
 * Russian: решето́м во́ду носи́ть, напрасно стараться
 * Scottish Gaelic: a' marbhadh coin mhairbh
 * Spanish: machacar en hierro frío
 * Turkish:, boşa kürek çekmek