nail Jell-O to a tree

verb

To do something that is impossible or very difficult, with connotations of pointlessness.

“They are asking us to nail Jell-O to a tree if they insist on having everything done in three days.”

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Meanings

verbnail Jell-O to a tree (third-person singular simple present nails Jell-O to a tree, present participle nailing Jell-O to a tree, simple past and past participle nailed Jell-O to a tree)

present singular third person nails Jell-O to a tree · participle present nailing Jell-O to a tree · participle past nailed Jell-O to a tree · past nailed Jell-O to a tree · alternative nail Jell-O to a wall · alternative nail jelly to a tree · alternative nail jelly to a wall

  1. USrareslangTo do something that is impossible or very difficult, with connotations of pointlessness.

    They are asking us to nail Jell-O to a tree if they insist on having everything done in three days.

Cite this entry
APA

nail Jell-O to a tree. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nail%20Jell-O%20to%20a%20tree

MLA

“nail Jell-O to a tree.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nail%20Jell-O%20to%20a%20tree. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nail Jell-O to a tree,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nail%20Jell-O%20to%20a%20tree.

Source: nail Jell-O to a tree on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.