(won't/doesn't) hold any water
Meaning(s)
1. something that does not prove to be true, something difficult to believe
Popularity
Medium
Professional
Medium
Social
How to Memorize
that argument/belief/excuse won't/doesn't hold any water (with me)
Analysis
When you say something 'doesn't hold water' you mean that it is illogical or that the argument is not strong or that it is untrue. An argument or opinion which is considered to be strong or difficult to disprove is called a 'watertight' argument. An argument which can be disproven easily is said 'to have holes in it', and something which has holes in it 'can't hold any water'. You can use this idiomatic expression in both social and professional contexts.
Social Examples (Advance)
- The argument for giving students lots of homework doesn't hold any water with me. It has been proven that students learn more when they can choose what to study.
- You said you were not in class yesterday because you were sick, but that won't hold any water with me, because I saw you at the mall.
Professional Examples (Basic)
- The belief in Creationism doesn't hold any water with evolutionary scientists, who argue that the earth existed long before the Bible states.
- The belief that some students are natural geniuses doesn't hold any water. Studies show that over 10,000 hours of study is needed to create an expert in their field.