carve in stone

carve (something) in stone

To make something permanent and incapable of being changed, typically a plan or idea. We might get brunch next weekend, but we haven't carved anything in stone yet. A: "Whoever signed off on these blueprints is definitely getting in trouble with the project manager." B: "I know, why would they carve this hideous design in stone?" I think I have a good shot at getting the job, but no one from the company has carved it in stone yet.

See also: carve, stone

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

carve something in stone

Fig. to fix some idea permanently. No one has carved this one approach in stone; we have several options.

See also: carve, stone

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.