Meaning: repetitively doing something that will result in no positive effect (definition).


Example: My son had already made up his mind, and trying to change his decision was like banging my head against a brick wall.
Origins: Could not find one.
Rewrites: hitting your head against a cement wall yelling at a brick wall sparring with a brick wall having a staring contest with a masonry wall
Discussion: I was really surprised that I couldn’t find an origin for this one, but I suspect it’s buried in some English garden. The meaning is apparent, without an origin.