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an attempt at resolving/achieving something with less effort than is required for success with a high probability of the attempt proving futile and unpleasant
By attempting to throw the game disc into the console from the couch rather than standing up and putting it in, the lazy high-schooler was licking a tree and hoping for maple syrup.
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Idiom; to attempt an ill-advised, mildly unpleasant shortcut to avoid a more complicated process, with a high probability of failure. The idiom itself is an example of such an experience, since licking trees is unpleasant, and even maple trees rarely taste sweet just by licking the bark. The idiom also implies that tried and true methods, rather than blind experimentation, yield better results. Drilling into the trunk of a maple tree with a tap, is the correct way to obtain maple syrup.
"Kicking the car to try and make it start again won't work. That's just licking a tree and hoping for maple syrup, honestly. Let's call a tow truck instead."