No dice

Slang Term AmericanBritishAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Casual
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Meaning: No success; it didn't work; request refused.

没成功;没用;请求被拒绝。
Sin éxito; no funcionó; petición rechazada.
成功しなかった、うまくいかなかった、拒否された。
안 됐다, 실패했다, 거절당했다.

Expression indicating failure or refusal. From gambling—no dice means the throw doesn't count.

表示失败或拒绝的说法。源自赌博——no dice意思是这次掷骰子不算数。
Expresión que indica fracaso o rechazo. Del juego: no dice significa que la tirada no cuenta.
失敗や拒否を示す表現。ギャンブルから来ており、no diceはサイコロが無効という意味。
실패나 거절을 나타내는 표현. 도박에서 유래한 것으로, 'no dice'는 던진 주사위가 무효라는 의미.

Literal meaning: No valid dice throw

Examples

  1. I asked for a raise but no dice.
    我申请加薪但没戏
    Pedí un aumento pero nada
    昇給を頼んだが駄目だった
    임금 인상을 요청했지만 안 됐다.
  2. Tried to get tickets but no dice.
    想弄到票但没成功
    Intenté conseguir entradas pero nada
    チケットを取ろうとしたが駄目だった
    티켓을 구하려 했지만 안 됐다.
  3. Sorry, no dice on that request.
    抱歉,这个要求不行
    Lo siento, esa petición no puede ser
    すみません、その依頼は無理です
    미안하지만, 그 요청은 안 돼.

Pronunciation

/nəʊ daɪs/

Usage Guide

Context: refusal, failure, rejection

Tone: disappointed, matter-of-fact

✓ Do Say

  • No dice.
    没戏
    Nada
    駄目だった
    안 됐어
  • Sorry, no dice.
    抱歉,不行
    Lo siento, no puede ser
    すみません、無理です
    미안, 안 돼
  • Asked but no dice.
    问了但没戏
    Pregunté pero nada
    頼んだけど駄目だった
    부탁했는데 안 됐어

✗ Don't Say

  • No luck
    No luck(没运气)
    No luck(Sin suerte)
    No luck(運がなかった)
    No luck (운이 없었어)
  • Didn't work
    Didn't work(没成功)
    Didn't work(No funcionó)
    Didn't work(うまくいかなかった)
    Didn't work (안 됐어)

Common Mistakes

Origin & History

From gambling—an invalid dice throw.

Etymology: American gambling slang

First recorded: 1920s

Cultural Context

Era: Modern (1920s onwards)

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: American movies; Gambling culture

Regional notes: American origin but widely understood.

Variations

No diceSorry, no diceIt's no dice

Related Phrases

More From This Topic

Smash it ★★★★★ To succeed brilliantly or perform excellently. Nail it ★★★★★ To do something perfectly or exactly right. Pull it off ★★★★★ To succeed in doing something difficult. Fall through ★★★★★ To fail to happen or be completed. Ace it ★★★★★ To do something extremely well, especially a test. Flop ★★★★★ A complete failure, especially of a performance or product.
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