Pushing an elephant up the stairs - idiom?

[Nicole]

Hi, could you please tell me if this an idiom and if so what does it mean?

I'm pushing an elephant up the stairs.

I've goolged this line and there are some results but I can't make out its meaning.

Thank you beforehand.
Nicole
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[Alan]

Hi Nicole,

I have a dim recollection of having heard this before and I would imagine it means trying to do the impossible in the sense that you are trying to get someone to do something and they won't do it.

You might be interested in two other expressions which suggest you are making no progress when you are trying to get someone to do something and you are facing great resistance:

It's like talking to a brick wall.
It's like getting blood out of a stone.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple