flog a dead horse
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.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Stop arguing — you're flogging a dead horse.”
“The manager kept pushing the old marketing plan, but everyone knew he was flogging a dead horse.”
“Years after the scandal had faded from public memory, the journalist continued to flog a dead horse, writing article after article that few bothered to read.”
- 01
beat a dead horse
To persist or continue far beyond any purpose, interest or reason.
- 02
brown bread
[Cockney slang]dead
- 03
change horses in midstream
To change one's plan or approach when an effort is already underway or at another inopportune time.
- 04
charley horse
A muscle cramp, usually a strong one, in the thigh, leg, arm, or core.
- 05
close the stable door after the horse has bolted
To attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred; to design and implement a preventive mechanism that is too late (after the first failure instead of before).
- 06
come back from the dead
To experience a resurgence after one's productive years are assumed to have ended.
- 07
dark horse
Someone who possesses talents or favorable characteristics that are not known or expected by others.
- 08
dead 'n' buried
Contraction of dead and buried.
Last updated August 10, 2026