He concluded his speech with a remark that failure ____the mother of success.

—Have you finished the work?

—Not yet, but no matter how hard it is, we'll keep ___ until we make it.

Which of the following italicized words DOES NOT carry the metaphorical meaning?

_________, the most controversial candidate in the election campaign, he has been strongly criticized for his crude comments about women.

Every means ____ tried out but never with success, as far as my knowledge goes.