Fig.: to fail to convince or impress someone

I know him well, and trust me, his dirty insinuations don't cut ice with me

Lo conosco bene e, credimi, le sue sporche insinuazioni non mi fanno un baffo

Hold your tears, they don't cut ice with me

Smetti di piangere, le lacrime con me non attaccano

Who does he think he is? The fact that he is an influencer cuts no water with me!

Chi si crede di essere? Il fatto che sia un influencer non mi fa un baffo!

Look at this mess! All the Christmas decorations are on the floor, ruined. I know it was you, so don't give me those wounded-doe eyes. It cuts no ice with me

So benissimo che sei tu il colpevole, perciò non guardarmi con quell'aria da cane bastonato, tanto con me non attacca

The origin of the phrase is not definitively known, but the most widely accepted theory links it to the ice harvesting procedure. This was a common practice in North America in the late 19th century, before the introduction of industrial refrigeration. At the time, thick slabs of ice were literally cut or sawed off from the surface of frozen ponds, lakes and rivers, and were stored inside a thick-walled ice house to be used in warmer months. Strength and the right tools were needed for this type of work: a person or a tool that couldn't cut the ice properly, would be considered useless