plaiting fog

Verb

plait fog (third-person singular simple present plaits fog, present participle plaiting fog, simple past and past participle plaited fog)

1. (UK, figuratively) To perform an action in which the result falls apart immediately or to work on organizing something that cannot be organized.
   • The result for the supervisee is an experience like 'plaiting fog', that is, trying to hold together the different strands in a unified whole — and holding the tension between the needs of client, counsellor and organization.1999, Michael Carroll, Elizabeth Holloway, Counselling Supervision in Context, page 189
2. (UK) Used as a metaphor for accomplishing an impossible task.
   • Just as you can't plait fog, you can hardly have an informed debate about something that means quite different things to different people.2010, Cath Irvine, Graham Firth, Ruth Berry, Understanding Intensive Interaction, page 19

   Synonyms:

   knit fog, plait sawdust