nail Jell-O to a tree
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Pronunciation edit
Audio (AU) (file)
Verb edit
nail Jell-O to a tree (third-person singular simple present nails Jell-O to a tree, present participle nailing Jell-O to a tree, simple past and past participle nailed Jell-O to a tree)
- (US, slang, rare) To do something that is impossible or very difficult, with connotations of pointlessness.
- They are asking us to nail Jell-O to a tree if they insist on having everything done in three days.
Usage notes edit
Also used in the common variant to a wall, and with jello in place of Jell-O. British form uses jelly instead. Particularly used in the form like nailing jello to a wall.