plait fog

present singular third person plaits fog · participle present plaiting fog · participle past plaited fog · past plaited fog

1. UKfigurativelyTo perform an action in which the result falls apart immediately or to work on organizing something that cannot be organized.

   'Currently, I'm plaiting fog,' Henry admitted.

   2023, Nick Oldham, Death Ride

   3 more examples

   The result for the supervisee is an experience like 'plaiting fog', that is, trying to hold together the different strands in a unified whole — and holding the tension between the needs of client, counsellor and organization.

   1999, Michael Carroll, Elizabeth Holloway, Counselling Supervision in Context, page 189

   He believed that the project was largely "plaiting fog” and making too much of what it had achieved.

   2003, Cathy Davis, Housing associations - rehousing women leaving domestic violence, page 57

   Like my life is one long session of plaiting fog.

   2019, Craig Hallam, Down Days

2. UKUsed as a metaphor for accomplishing an impossible task.

   Never going to 'appen, love. I'll plait fog if it does.

   2019, Kathryn Hughes, Her Last Promise

   4 more examples

   Just as you can't plait fog, you can hardly have an informed debate about something that means quite different things to different people.

   2010, Cath Irvine, Graham Firth, Ruth Berry, Understanding Intensive Interaction, page 19

   I though H had more chance of plaiting fog than coming back with an affirmative to his request.

   2011, Philip Serrell, Sold to the Man With the Tin Leg

   "This is like trying to plait fog,” said Robson, now showing his frustration. “You can't have it both ways.”

   2015, J.R Stephenson, Barclays - Bankers or Bandits, page 152

   Trying to pin down the meaning of the words themselves— 'spiritual', 'spirituality', 'religious experience'— is like trying to plait fog, but the endeavour is necessary, not least because interviewees will hear and use all these terms in different ways.

   2016, David Nixon, Stories from the Street: A Theology of Homelessness

   Synonyms: knit fog, plait sawdust