waste one's breath, to
waste one's breath
Fig. to waste one's time talking; to talk in vain. Don't waste your breath talking to her. She won't listen. You can't persuade me. You're just wasting your breath.
See also: breath, waste
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
waste one's breath
Speak in vain (because no one agrees), as in Don't waste your breath complaining to the supervisor-it won't help. This notion was first recorded about 1400 as wasting words. The exact idiom was first recorded in 1667. Also see save one's breath.
See also: breath, waste
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
waste (one's) breath
To gain or accomplish nothing by speaking.
See also: breath, waste
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
waste one's breath, to
To talk in vain, because no one will listen. The idea that breath is something that can be saved or wasted dates from the sixteenth century (see also save your breath). Tennyson used the term in “In Memoriam” (1850): “I trust I have not wasted breath.”
See also: waste
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- talk through one's hat, to
- ears must be burning
- be talking through (one's) hat
- be talking through your hat
- talk to a brick wall
- be like talking to a brick wall
- eavesdroppers never hear any good of themselves
- Listeners
- listeners never hear any good of themselves
- telephone