You Can't

Posted by Susan on March 29, 2000

In Reply to: You Can't posted by ESC on March 26, 2000

: : "You Can't get blood out of a stone"
: : I am trying to find the orgin of this phrase, Or any information about it(meaning, who said it etc....) If anyone can Help I would be very grateful.
: : Thank you
: : Ron
: : e-mail Rlc2734@aol.com

: "You can't get blood from a stone. You can't get something from someone who doesn't have it. The proverb has been traced back to G. Torriano's 'Common Place of Italian Proverbs' . First attested in the United States in the 'Letters from William Cobbett to Edward Thornton' . The proverb is found in varying forms: You can't get blood out of a stone; You can't get blood from a rock; You can't squeeze blood from a stone; You can't get blood out of a turnip, etc...." From Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).

In Naples and Pouzzoli there is the Saint Genaro...a man who was killed by soldiers and then deified. On his day every year, the rock where he was beheaded is said to bleed. This is a sign that the area will be protected from volcanic activity for the upcoming year.