old sayings

[Johnbouy]

I heard someone say recently " He keeps trying to lick his elbows" when what they are saying is that he keeps attempting the impossible. Until a recent e-mail circulation about unusual facts, which lisited the fact that a person cannot lick their elbows, I had never heard this saying. Is it older than "just recently"??

[Quizmonster]

I suspect it's about as old as "nailing jelly to the wall" with regard to ways of expressing impossibility. Personally, I've never heard it used and it does not appear in any of the usual proverbs/sayings/quotes websites. "Just recently" appears to be about right re its appearance.

[kempie]

I have only been aware of this 'fact' for about a year but I have also seen it disproved on a TV programme by someone with a "longer than average" tongue.

As a child my mother always told me that the only thing I was allowed to put near my eyes was my elbow since this is more likely to be an impossible action.

[jenstar]

I don't think it's a saying as such, just a fact that very few people can lick their own elbow, unless they have a very long tongue, unusually short upper arms, or the ability to dislocate their shoulder joint.