pound sand

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiominformalAmerican

   Used to tell someone rudely to go away or stop bothering you.

   Grammar: Fixed phrase; often used as a command: 'Go pound sand.' It does not take an object.

   Patterns

   • go pound sand
   • tell someone to pound sand

   When he asked for another loan, she told him to go pound sand.

   I'm tired of your complaints—go pound sand!

2. 2phraseidiominformalAmerican

   To waste time on a pointless or impossible task.

   Grammar: Less common; used to describe futile activity.

   Patterns

   • pound sand
   • be pounding sand

   Without the right tools, you're just pounding sand.

   He spent all day pounding sand instead of fixing the real problem.

Common combinations

go pound sand

If they call again, tell them to go pound sand.

tell someone to pound sand

She told the salesman to pound sand.

pound sand

Stop pounding sand and do something useful.

Synonyms and how they differ

get lost

Also a rude way to tell someone to go away, but 'get lost' is more common in British English and slightly less vulgar than 'pound sand'.

beat it

An older, informal way to say 'go away'; it is less aggressive than 'pound sand'.

Word family

pound verb

To hit something repeatedly with force.

sand noun

Tiny grains of rock found on beaches and in deserts.

Commonly confused: pound sand or pound the pavement?

Practice

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