GermanEulen nach Athen tragen
Meaning: To do something utterly pointless.
Literally: To carry owls to Athens
Example: “Dem Bäcker Brot mitzubringen heißt Eulen nach Athen tragen.” — Bringing bread to the baker is carrying coals to Newcastle.
English equivalent: To carry coals to Newcastle
Origin: The owl was Athena's bird and the emblem of Athens, and from the 5th century BC the city's silver coins showed Athena on one side and an owl on the other; people called them "owls." In Aristophanes's comedy The Birds, the Athenians are said to be so rich because owls nest in their purses and hatch young ones, so bringing more owls to Athens is pointless. The saying has been proverbial since antiquity; English says "carry coals to Newcastle."
Equivalents in other languages
Russian: в Тулу со своим самоваром (v Tulu so svoim samovarom) Literally: To Tula with one's own samovar- Russian: в лес дрова возить (v les drova vozit') Literally: To bring firewood to the forest
English: carry coals to Newcastle
More German idioms
- Das ist nicht das Gelbe vom Ei It's not ideal; not quite good enough.
- Alles in Butter Everything is fine and under control.
- Aus dem Häuschen sein To be beside yourself with excitement.
- Jemandem auf den Keks gehen To get on someone's nerves.
- Einen Kater haben To have a hangover.
- die Nase voll haben To be fed up or exhausted by something.
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