Pushing rope uphill.....

Posted by R. Berg on October 03, 2001

In Reply to: Pushing rope uphill..... posted by Bob on October 03, 2001

: : I heard the phrase, "pushing rope uphill" this morning and had not heard it before. Any help with its meaning/origin would be appreciated.

: Sounds like someone has confused "pushing a rope" and "pushing a rock uphill," both individually symbols of futility, but which don't make a lot of sense blended together. Pushing a rope is an obviously futile activity; puching a rock uphill is a reference to the myth of Syssifus, who was condemned by the gods to push a large bolder up a hill, which would then roll to the bottom, so he had to do it again. (It's a little like being condemned to work in a passport office, stamping documents and filing them in triplicate. Forever.

My guess: "Pushing rope uphill" is a new twist (a topper) on "pushing rope," meant to intensify the meaning. Pushing rope is silly if you want the rope to remain straight, but you CAN push a coil of rope. Trying to push rope uphill, however, is even sillier.

• Pushing rope uphill..... Bob 10/04/01