Phrase guide

you can't get a quart into a pint pot

proverb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

proverb

Meaning 1

You cannot fit a large object or amount in something smaller.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: literally

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

proverb

Meaning 2

One cannot achieve the impossible.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • They've asked me to get from London to New York by five o'clock, but it's half past four now, and you can't get a quart into a pint pot!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.