You Can’t Squeeze Blood from a Turnip

In Appalachian and Southern speech, "you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip" means you can’t get something from someone who doesn’t have it. Often used about money, it’s a colorful country way of saying it’s impossible to draw value from where none exists.

#SouthernSayings #Appalachia #FoodandDrink #Southern #FarmTalk #Proverbs

Hillbilly Dude Says...

Out in the country, you'll still hear 'can’t squeeze blood from a turnip if somebody's broke.

Hillbilly Dude Says...

Out in the country, you'll still hear 'can’t squeeze blood from a turnip if somebody's broke.

Pronunciation

[yoo KANT skweez bluhd frum uh TUR-nup]

Meaning & Usage

- Impossible to get what isn’t there (proverb)

Mae:

The man says pay up today.

Earl:

Well, you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip.

- To emphasize someone has no resources to give (figurative)

Mae:

They want another dollar?

Earl:

Shoot, you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip.

variations: can’t get water from a stone ain’t got it to give you can’t get nothin’ outta nothin’ you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip jar don’t ask me, you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip

★ This saying usually comes up in money talk, but it applies to time, energy, or patience too. It’s a country way of setting limits - you can’t give what you ain’t got. ★

Origin and Etymology

The phrase goes back to old European proverbs about turnips as poor folk’s food, but it found strong life in the American South and Appalachia, where turnips were cheap and common. The image of trying to get "blood" (life, value) from such a plain vegetable made for a natural rural metaphor.

Usage Notes

Still heard in Southern and Appalachian storytelling, especially among older speakers. Recognized across the U.S., though it carries a rural, country flavor.

Say It Like a Southerner

Said plain: "you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip." Sometimes quickened to "cain’t squeeze blood from a turnip."

Kin Topics

Common Questions

Is it only about money?

Mostly, but it can apply to anything someone doesn’t have - time, energy, or resources.

Do people outside the South say it?

Yes, it’s understood elsewhere, but the turnip imagery feels most at home in Southern/Appalachian talk.

Is there a similar saying?

"You can’t get water from a stone" is the more formal version.

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, September 13). You Can’t Squeeze Blood from a Turnip. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/you-cant-squeeze-blood-from-a-turnip
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "You Can’t Squeeze Blood from a Turnip." HillbillySlang.com, 13 Sept. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/you-cant-squeeze-blood-from-a-turnip.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "You Can’t Squeeze Blood from a Turnip." HillbillySlang.com. September 13, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/you-cant-squeeze-blood-from-a-turnip.

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