Welcome to English in a Minute from Home!
In life, some things can be helped while others cannot.
Speaker A: What happened to your indoor plant?
Speaker B: I don’t know, Jonathan. I watered it. I put it next to this window. But I don’t think it’s going too good.
Speaker A: Anna, that plant is dead.
Speaker B: Maybe if I…
Speaker A: Anna. It’s a lost cause. Just accept it and move on.
A “lost cause” is something that is certain to fail. You can use this expression for a person, a thing or even a movement. It’s not worth spending extra time and energy on a “lost cause.”
And that’s English in a Minute!
*This article has been edited and reprinted from VOA Learning English with permission from Voice of America (VOA) for use in English language materials.