like talking to a wall

English

Alternative forms

• like talking to a brick wall

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Prepositional phrase

like talking to a wall

1. (idiomatic) A futile or unsuccessful attempt at communication due to the ignorance or stubbornness of the other party.

   Are you even listening to me? It's like talking to a wall.

Related terms

• brick wall

Translations

unsuccessful communication

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 對牛彈琴／对牛弹琴 (zh) (duìniútánqín) (lit. “playing the zither to a cow”), 秀才遇到兵——有理說不清／秀才遇到兵——有理说不清 (xiùcái yùdào bīng, yǒulǐ shuōbùqīng)

• Czech: jako házet hrách na stěnu
• Finnish: kuin seinälle puhuisi
• Hungarian: falra hányt borsó
• Polish: groch o ścianę
• Russian: как об сте́нку горо́х (kak ob sténku goróx)
• Scottish Gaelic: mar a bhith a' bruidhinn ri each na chadal

See also

• fall on deaf ears
• go in one ear and out the other