   Don’t Try to Plow Through the StumpIn Appalachian and Southern speech, "Don’t try to plow through the stump" is a folksy proverb meaning "don’t waste effort on something immovable." It’s farm wisdom about choosing the wiser path instead of the hardest one. #SouthernSayings #Appalachia #PeopleandRelationships #Southern #FarmTalk #Proverbs Hillbilly Dude Says...  This one comes in various flavors, but often shortened to 'don’t try to plow through the stump,' but sometimes with '- go around it' at the end. Hillbilly Dude Says... This one comes in various flavors, but often shortened to 'don’t try to plow through the stump,' but sometimes with '- go around it' at the end. Pronunciation[DONT try tuh PLOW throo thuh STUMP] Meaning & Usage- Don’t waste effort fighting immovable obstacles (proverb / figurative)
Mae:
I’m fixin’ to fight city hall.
Earl:
Honey, don’t try to plow through the stump. Find another way.variations: Life’s simpler when you plow around the stump ★ This saying draws on real farm life: new fields were full of tree stumps, and plowing into them could break equipment or injure the mule. The wise farmer plowed around. ★ Origin and EtymologyRooted in Appalachian and Southern farm experience. Settlers cleared fields but left tree stumps to rot. The phrase evolved into a metaphor for avoiding futile effort. Usage NotesStill heard in rural storytelling, sermons, and folksy advice columns. Outside the South it’s rare and may need explaining. Say It Like a SouthernerSaid plain: "Don’t try to plow through the stump." The "to" often sounds like "tuh" in rural speech. | ...
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