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For the life of you

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LampPro Tip 1/3
Emphasis on FrustrationPlay
Often shows frustration or impatience over not being able to do something. SlideI can't, for the life of me, figure out this puzzle.
LampPro Tip 2/3
Used for EmphasisPlay
Adds emotional emphasis, suggesting you've tried very hard or care deeply about the effort. SlideShe couldn't understand the poem for the life of her, even after rereading it several times.
LampPro Tip 3/3
Not LiteralPlay
It's an idiom, so don't take it literally; it doesn't involve actual life or death. SlideHe couldn't, for the life of him, recall where he had seen her before.