To carry coals to Newcastle.
Proverbs on a similar topic
- No man can serve two masters.
- If wishes were horses beggars would ride.
- You cannot eat your cake and have it.
- He that is born a fool is never cured.
- You cannot make a silk purse of a sow's ear.
- Look not for musk in a dog's kennel.
- If the young man would and the old man could, there would be nothing undone.
- You cannot flay the same ox twice.
Related proverbs
Similar proverbs in the same language
English
- To carry owls to Athens.
Similar proverbs in another language
Latin
- In silvam ligna ferre. To carry wood into the forest.
- Soli lumen inferre. To bring the light of the sun.
- Ligna in silvam portare stultum est. It is foolish to carry wood into the forest.
French
- C'est le diable à confesser. It's the devil to confess.
- Montrer le soleil avec un flambeau. Show the sun with a torch.
- C'est folie puiser l'eau au cribleau. It's madness to draw water with a sieve.
German
- Holz nach dem Wald tragen. Carry wood after the forest.
Czech
- Do lesa dříví nevoz, do moře vody nenos. Carry no wood into the forest, carry no water into the sea.
- Platno, jako by hrách na stěnu házel. It's as valid as throwing peas at a wall.
- Z písku provaz plésti. To knit a rope out of sand.
- Do děravé nádoby líti. Into a leaky vessel to pour.
- Písek v snopky vázati. To bind sand in sheaves.
- Učiti raka přímo choditi. To teach a crayfish to walk straight.
- V strništi ryby loviti. To catch fish in the stubble.
- Říčicí vodu vážiti. Weigh the water of the river.
- Hluchého kárati. Reprove the deaf.