Like carrying coals to Newcastle.
Meaning: Supplying something to a place already abundant in it wastes effort and resources foolishly.
Origin: Newcastle upon Tyne was England's great coal port from the Middle Ages, shipping coal down the coast to London and beyond. Taking coal there was the height of pointlessness. The first record is in the diary of the Scottish reformer James Melvill in 1583, who used "coals to Newcastle" to translate the ancient Greek "owls to Athens."
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Catch that catch may. — Seize opportunities opportunistically without moral judgment about methods or fairness of…
- Look to the main chance. — Prioritize opportunities that offer genuine benefit over distractions or minor advantages.
- Hasty climbers have sudden falls. — Rushing toward goals without careful planning or preparation invites disaster and setback.
- After clouds comes clear weather. — Difficult periods naturally pass, revealing better circumstances beyond temporary hardshi…
- Two's company and three's none. — A third person disrupts the intimate dynamic and comfort of a pair.
- A generous confession disarms slander. — Openly admitting faults before others exploit them removes ammunition from malicious goss…
From our tongue twisters
- 東京特許許可局 (Tōkyō tokkyo kyokakyoku) — A machine-gun of 'kyo' / 'kyoku' sounds.
- Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cents scies scient six cents cyprès. — An 's' / 'si' minefield.
- 赤パジャマ黄パジャマ茶パジャマ (Aka pajama, ki pajama, cha pajama) — A rapid-fire drill on colour words; the syllable shift from aka/ki/cha trips the tongue b…