rope of sand | Idiomator

Meaning: (idiomatic)Somethingincohesive,flimsy,disconnectedorunreliable1875, James Frederick Ferrier,The Institutes of Metaphysic,Section 2 Proposition 5:If any flaw can be detected in this reasoning, its author will be the first to admit that these Institutes are, from beginning to end, a mererope of sand; but if no flaw can be detected in it, he begs to crave for them the acknowledgment that they are a chain of adamant.July 1900,Jack London, “The Dignity of Dollars”, inOverland Monthly, volume36, number211, pages53–57:Out of his ideas he may weave cunning theories, beautiful ideals; but he is working withropes of sand. At the slightest stress, the last least bit of cohesion flits away, and each idea flies apart from its fellows, while all clamor that he do this thing, or think this thing, in the ancient and time-honored way. He is only a clay-born; so he bends his neck. He knows further that the clay-born are a pitiful, pitiless majority, and that he may do nothing which they do not do.

Examples:

EN: This part of the desert of South Africa where only a parched camel Thorn tree relieves the endless parallels of time, space, and sky surrounds like a rope of sand, the richest diamond bearing area in the world.
ES: Este desierto en África, donde un árbol reseco alivia los paralelos del tiempo y del espacio rodea como una soga de arena una zona rica en diamantes.
EN: Like a rope of sand, it just can't stand the light
HI: मौजों की तरह सिर्फ, उछलना नहीं आता
EN: miracles becomes a rope of sand in our hands.
TE: మా చేతిపనులలో దేనినైనా అలంకరించడానికి పువ్వులు ఒక అనివార్య వనరుగా మారాయి.
EN: man, why are you trying to make rope of sand.
TE: పొద్దున్నే మీరు రంగుల కోసం ఊరంతా తిరగటం ఎందుకు?

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