Submitted by AtlasShrunked t3_11v6tzg in Showerthoughts
leBigTuner22 t1_jcsfmuc wrote
….but the implication of the phrase is that you started beating the horse while living, it died, and you’re still beating it
[deleted] t1_jcsroq4 wrote
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Advanced-Blackberry t1_jcsvvqq wrote
Hmm. I didn’t think of that but that does make much more sense.
averyminya t1_jct04mr wrote
Both work for their contexts
Jedi_Yeti t1_jcx99dl wrote
This is the case after you beat it to death also
[deleted] t1_jcx9r3r wrote
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JamesR624 t1_jctglsp wrote
Uhhh no? The original comment is what the phrase is about.
Not sure how you managed to come to this conclusion.
IIIhateusernames t1_jcthhh7 wrote
It's both. The rider rides the horse to death and is still hitting it with the riding crop to try and get something else out of the horse, but it's dead.
The phrase is used to say that you've covered all the potential material of a conversation and that continuing is pointless.... like beating a dead horse to get more work out of it.
MinniesWorld t1_jcu5hbc wrote
You got it. Hopefully people will read this and understand.
IIIhateusernames t1_jcuci1f wrote
I'm surprised that there are this many people that don't understand
MinniesWorld t1_jcvgu57 wrote
I bet if you ask a lot of people where the source of expressions that they use came from they be completely clueless.
MindlessLunch2 t1_jcsu6co wrote
But what about the scenario of the horse already being dead when you arrive, then you beat it?
Dontmentionthewat t1_jcsxukn wrote
That’s called zoonecrophilia.
WutWhoSaidDat t1_jcty3hs wrote
That is not at all the implication of the phrase. Stop making shit up.
Edit: You’re beating a dead horse. Where the fuck is the implication you were beating it before it died? I’ll wait for the downvoters to fill me in.
OSRS_Rising t1_jcu6sdz wrote
“The origin of the expression ‘beat a dead horse’ comes from the mid-19th century, when the practice of beating horses to make them go faster was often viewed as acceptable. To beat a dead horse would be pointless, as it wouldn't be able to go anywhere.”
https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/phrases/beat-a-dead-horse/#
WutWhoSaidDat t1_jcu84u0 wrote
Yea, you seem capable of reading, but not comprehending. That doesn’t imply at all you were beating it until it died.
OSRS_Rising t1_jcu90wk wrote
No need to be rude, I don’t recall being rude to you. If I came across that way, I apologize. 🙂
The opposite of beating a dead horse is beating a live horse.
The phrase, “beating a dead horse” means doing something that is accomplishing nothing.
So, beating a live horse means doing something that is accomplishing something.
The phrase has meaning because it’s implied the beater (or flogger) has just been doing something over and over again long passed the point of it being useful.
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