idioms - What does "clutching at straws" mean?



In the following context:



I'm clutching at straws here. I'm trying to imagine how a woman could fail to be offended by being called a "hole".



What's meant by "clutching at straws"?



Answer



Imagine that you are about to fall. Imagine that you grab / grasp / clutch at a bunch of straws to avoid falling. It is a desperate move, because the straws will never be able to hold your weight and you know it, but you do it regardless (because it is your last hope).


The expression above could be translated as:


"It is almost impossible for me to imagine a situation in which a woman will not be offended by being called a..."


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