no dice

Idioms  

1. Also, no go; no soap. No, certainly not; also, impossible. For example, Anthony wanted to borrow my new coat, but Mom said no dice, or We tried to rent the church for the wedding, but it's no go for the date you picked, or Jim asked Dad to help pay for the repairs, but Dad said no soap. All of these slangy expressions indicate refusal or an unsuccessful attempt. No dice, from the 1920s, alludes to an unlucky throw in gambling; no go, alluding to lack of progress, dates from about 1820; and no soap dates from about 1920 and possibly alludes to the phrase it won't wash, meaning “it won't find acceptance.” Also see nothing doing; won't wash.

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Example Sentences

Of course, some culinary pros still say no dice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

Lauder wanted to station the car outside the Neue Galerie for the run of the show, but no dice.

From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2022

I pleaded with my nurse practitioner to let me take it off at night, but she said no dice.

From Washington Post • Jun. 19, 2022

European leaders said no dice — the contracts say euros or dollars and one side can’t abruptly change that.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 2, 2022

Except of course for the opal-haworthia plant, which Seven had been trying for years to grow just for its invisibility properties, but no dice.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

Related Words

• fruitless
• hollow
• impractical
• ineffective
• ineffectual
• insufficient
• trivial
• unproductive
• unprofitable
• unsuccessful
• useless
• vain
• worthless