can't fight City Hall

Idioms  

1. Unable to overcome bureaucratic rules, as in Brad couldn't get a permit without going through channels—you can't fight City Hall! This term transfers the seat of city government to a more general sense of bureaucracy in any sphere. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

You can undoubtedly imagine some of the responses: "You can't fight City Hall!"

From Salon

The saying “You can’t fight City Hall” captures the immovable nature of government bureaucracy.

From Los Angeles Times

“You can’t fight City Hall,” O’Malley said, but Rising proved his mettle to the team owner in the failed campaign.

From Los Angeles Times

As an old saying goes, you can't fight city hall, meaning government.

From Scientific American

Casting a skeptical eye on the possibility of democratic reforms in China, “Lost Course” makes for a bleak illustration of the adage that you can’t fight city hall — or in this case, a village committee, if the committee is part of a much larger system.

From New York Times