   You Can’t Squeeze Blood from a TurnipIn Appalachian and Southern speech, "you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip" means you can’t get something from someone who doesn’t have it. Often used about money, it’s a colorful country way of saying it’s impossible to draw value from where none exists. Hillbilly Dude Says...  Out in the country, you'll still hear 'can’t squeeze blood from a turnip if somebody's broke. Pronunciation[yoo KANT skweez bluhd frum uh TUR-nup] Meaning & Usage- Impossible to get what isn’t there (proverb)
Mae:
The man says pay up today.
Earl:
Well, you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip.- To emphasize someone has no resources to give (figurative)
Mae:
They want another dollar?
Earl:
Shoot, you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip.other spellings: can’t get water from a stone, ain’t got it to give, you can’t get nothin’ outta nothin’, you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip jar, and don’t ask me, you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip ★ This saying usually comes up in money talk, but it applies to time, energy, or patience too. It’s a country way of setting limits - you can’t give what you ain’t got. ★ OriginThe phrase goes back to old European proverbs about turnips as poor folk’s food, but it found strong life in the American South and Appalachia, where turnips were cheap and common. The image of trying to get "blood" (life, value) from such a plain vegetable made for a natural rural metaphor. NotesStill heard in Southern and Appalachian storytelling, especially among older speakers. Recognized across the U.S., though it carries a rural, country flavor. Say It Like a SouthernerSaid plain: "you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip." Sometimes quickened to "cain’t squeeze blood from a turnip." | About We are a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia, but wide as the world. Read more... |
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