we played the flute for you, and you did not dance; people ignore one's invitation or effort to do something together
Biblical idiom from Matthew 11:17, used when someone's attempt to engage others is met with indifference or refusal. Often carries a tone of disappointment or reproach.
I invited them to the drinking party many times, but it was a case of 'we played the flute and you did not dance' — nobody came.
I proposed a new project, but it was like piping to deaf ears; the bosses showed no interest at all.
Describes a futile effort with no resistance or response, like pushing against a shop curtain; less about social invitation and more about lack of effect.
From the Bible, Matthew 11:17, where Jesus compares the generation to children calling to each other in the marketplace: 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance.' The phrase entered Japanese as a set idiomatic expression.