Boil the ocean

The idiom "boil the ocean" is an expression used to describe a task or action that is overly ambitious, impractical, or impossible to achieve. It implies that the task is so massive and complex that it would require an enormous amount of effort, time, or resources to complete, similar to the seemingly impossible task of boiling the entire ocean.
Here are a few examples to illustrate the usage of this idiom:
1. John: "I'm going to start my own business and become a billionaire within a year!"
Sarah: "Don't you think that's a bit like boiling the ocean? It takes time and effort to build a successful business."
In this example, Sarah is suggesting that John's goal of becoming a billionaire within a year is unrealistic and overly ambitious. She uses the idiom "boil the ocean" to convey that it is a colossal task and unlikely to be achieved in such a short time frame.
2. Manager: "We need to redesign our entire website by tomorrow."
Employee: "That's like trying to boil the ocean! It's impossible to completely overhaul the website in such a short time."
Here, the employee is expressing that the manager's request to redesign the entire website by the next day is impractical and unachievable. By using the idiom "boil the ocean," they emphasize the enormity and complexity of the task.
3. Teacher: "Your assignment is to read all ten novels by next week."
Student: "That's like boiling the ocean! It would take me months to read all of them."
In this scenario, the student is highlighting the overwhelming nature of the assignment given by the teacher. By comparing it to boiling the ocean, the student implies that it is an excessive amount of work and cannot be completed within the given timeframe.
Overall, the idiom "boil the ocean" is a figurative expression used to convey the idea of an extremely difficult or impossible task. It serves as a way to emphasize the impracticality or excessive nature of a particular goal or request.