you can't get a quart into a pint pot

Definition

You cannot fit a large object or amount in something smaller.

Example Sentences

• "They've asked me to get from London to New York by five o'clock, but it's half past four now, and you can't get a quart into a pint pot!"
• "The centenary of Britain's most famous train has called for a commemorative and descriptive work and in this 40-page illustrated booklet the author has tried—with some success, to pour a quart into a pint pot."