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“ab asino lanam”
Ab asino lanam (Latin phrase)
Literal translation: "Wool from an ass [donkey]."
The more modern meaning of ab asino lanam is "trying to get blood from a stone or a turnip" or "anyone who tries to achieve the impossible is bound to fail."
Trying to get Gretchen to change her mind about going to France was an exercise in ab asino lanam.
This entry is located in the following unit:
Latin Proverbs, Mottoes, Phrases, and Words: Group A
(page 2)