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tried

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try (one's) utmost

To put forth the greatest possible amount of effort or energy toward some task or goal; to try as hard as one can. I'll try my utmost to be there for your wedding, but I don't know if I'll have enough money to buy the plane ticket. Janet tried her utmost to save the family farm, but the bank foreclosed on it in the end.

See also: try, utmost

Lord knows I've tried.

Fig. I certainly have tried very hard. Alice: Why don't you get Bill to fix this fence? Mary: Lord knows I've tried. I must have asked him a dozen times—this year alone. Sue: I can't seem to get to class on time. Rachel: That's just awful. Sue: Lord knows I've tried. I just can't do it.

See also: know, lord, tried

tried and true

trustworthy; dependable. (Hyphenated before nominals.) The method I use to cure the hiccups is tried and true. Finally, her old tried-and-true methods failed because she hadn't fine-tuned them to the times.

See also: and, tried, true

tried and tested/trusted

  (British, American & Australian) also tried and true (American)

used by many people and proved to be effective They ran a highly successful advertising campaign using a tried and tested formula. Most people would prefer to stick to tried and true methods of birth control.

See also: and, test, tried

tried and true

Tested and proved to be worthy or reliable, as in Let me deal with it-my method is tried and true. [Mid-1900s]

See also: and, tried, true