a blind alley

A path or course of action that leads nowhere; a dead end. After spending years trying to prove his hypothesis but failing to get the results he had hoped for, the physicist feared that he had wasted too much time heading down a blind alley.

See also: alley, blind

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

blind alley

A dead end; a position without hope of progress or success. For example, That line of questioning led the attorney up yet another blind alley. This term alludes to a street or alley that has no outlet at one end. [Mid-1800s]

See also: alley, blind

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

a blind alley

COMMON A blind alley is a way of acting or thinking that is not effective and will not achieve progress. Sooner or later they will have to realize that this is a blind alley and that they need to rethink their own strategies. Did she regard teaching as a blind alley? Note: A blind alley is a street which is closed at one end.

See also: alley, blind

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

a blind alley

a course of action that does not deliver any positive results.

1997 New Scientist The next person looking for the same information has to go through the process all over again—even if 1000 people have already been up the same blind alleys.

See also: alley, blind

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

a ˌblind ˈalley

a course of action which has no useful result in the end: Our first experiment was a blind alley, but the second one gave us very promising results.

A blind alley is a narrow passage that is closed at one end.

See also: alley, blind

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

blind alley, (up) a

A dead end, either literally (a street or passage with only one entrance) or figuratively (a situation without hope of progress). The term dates from the sixteenth century.

词组	a blind alley
释义	a blind alley a blind alley A path or course of action that leads nowhere; a dead end. After spending years trying to prove his hypothesis but failing to get the results he had hoped for, the physicist feared that he had wasted too much time heading down a blind alley. See also: alley, blind Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. blind alley A dead end; a position without hope of progress or success. For example, That line of questioning led the attorney up yet another blind alley. This term alludes to a street or alley that has no outlet at one end. [Mid-1800s] See also: alley, blind The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. a blind alley COMMON A blind alley is a way of acting or thinking that is not effective and will not achieve progress. Sooner or later they will have to realize that this is a blind alley and that they need to rethink their own strategies. Did she regard teaching as a blind alley? Note: A blind alley is a street which is closed at one end. See also: alley, blind Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. a blind alley a course of action that does not deliver any positive results. 1997 New Scientist The next person looking for the same information has to go through the process all over again—even if 1000 people have already been up the same blind alleys. See also: alley, blind Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary a ˌblind ˈalley a course of action which has no useful result in the end: Our first experiment was a blind alley, but the second one gave us very promising results. A blind alley is a narrow passage that is closed at one end. See also: alley, blind Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary blind alley, (up) a A dead end, either literally (a street or passage with only one entrance) or figuratively (a situation without hope of progress). The term dates from the sixteenth century. See also: blind The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer See also: blind alley blind alley, (up) a go down a blind alley dead wrong cut (one's) losses cut losses cut one’s losses cut one's losses cut your losses on shaky ground References in classic literature "Her father shall pay me for it doubly: with his purse and with his life." With that thought in his heart, Richard Turlington wound his way through the streets by the river-side, and stopped at a blind alley called Green Anchor Lane, infamous to this day as the chosen resort of the most abandoned wretches whom London can produce. Miss or Mrs Offenders against the revenue laws, and defaulters to excise or customs who had incurred fines which they were unable to pay, were supposed to be incarcerated behind an iron-plated door closing up a second prison, consisting of a strong cell or two, and a blind alley some yard and a half wide, which formed the mysterious termination of the very limited skittle-ground in which the Marshalsea debtors bowled down their troubles. Little Dorrit LAHORE -- Deputy Chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Liaqat Baloch, has said that the PTI government was pushing the country's economy into a blind alley by accepting all the terms of the IMF. PTI govt was pushing country's economy into a blind alley by accepting all terms of IMF: Baloch Addressing a press conference here Tuesday, he said PTI chief was pushing his party to a blind alley. PTI,PAT playing in hands of hidden forces: Hashmi As a consequence Nawaz Sharif had also walked into a blind alley of his own. Blind Alleys In the song Boniadi raps, "This ain't no road to freedom / It's a blind alley, like Kirstie Alley / Travolta, and Cruise, but we ain't no fools," the Huffington Post reported. Tom Cruise's 'auditioned ex' raps anti-Scientology song Adam Smith, of Kirkcaldy, pointed out in 1776 that we all benefit from free trade and that, by inference, protectionism is a blind alley. Get on track; view Your Letters Birmingham Mail BUNGLING would-be robbers thwarted in their bid to raid a bookmakers in Birmingham fled down a blind alley. BUNGLING ROBBERS FOILED BY DEAD END a one way street as if some accident has thrown him into a blind alley The Body Politic They sped into a blind alley, narrowly missing pedestrians and hitting three parked cars, said witnesses. Car chaos pair arrested And with tax cuts, tough talk on immigration and ranting about Europe, he's heading up a blind alley. Cameron's retreating to a traditional Tory platform with a green tinge. It's the same old Tory. The French fly-half led the Welsh region down a blind alley as they suffered their fourth defeat in six matches after a dreadful second-half display. RUGBY UNION: No Mercier; GLOUCESTER..23 OSPREYS.........7 OSPREYS KILLED OFF BY FRENCH ACE LUDOVIC The Government's own advisors have since admitted that the research led up a blind alley. Letter: Cruel to animals When I spoke out honestly and said what I thought, I was able to drive him into a blind alley. But as soon as I began to play the hypocrite, he immediately sensed this and took the upper hand.' Freedom and the artist: Ernest Neizvestny - carver of Khrushchev's tombstone and sculptor of two massive memorials to Stalin's victims - talks to Peter Thwaites Along the way, the development of ideas often takes a wrong turn down a blind alley. One such detour happened in the 17th century. Rights by numbers
随便看	set (something) to music set (something) to rights set store by set store by (something or someone) set store in (something or someone) set straight set teeth on edge setter set the agenda set the ball rolling set the bar (high/low) set the cat among the pigeons set the heather alight set the heather on fire set the/(one's) clock(s) ahead set the/(one's) clock(s) back set the/(one's) clock(s) forward set the pace set the record straight set the scene set the scene for set the scene for (something) set the scene/stage set the seal on something set the seal on (something)