I was talking with a friend who mentioned "taking tea to India". It made me wonder what the equivalents are around the world. "Taking coals to Newcastle" is the UK's.
Seems like that should actually be quite a useful task in the Netherlands considering all the polders!
I think "selling ice to Eskimos" is the American equivalent. Naturally, the
version of this phrase: 1) involves an exonym that's a bit offensive 2) kinda makes doing a pointless exercise sound like a good thing.We also use "taking coals to Newcastle" here in the Midwestern U.S. (Something about being descended from former British colonies...) But I've heard plenty of riffs on that idea, like, "bringing corn to Iowa."
When I first heard this phrase, Andy Cole was playing for Newcastle and it was very confusing to me wee mind... Cole's to Newcastle what?
We would say ag tabhairt liúdar go Toraigh (carrying coalfish (pollachius virens) to Tory Island)
Or ag cuimilt saille/blonóige de thóin na muice méithe (rubbing lard on a fat pig's arse)
Bringing even more
flags to :estonia-cool: especially in the last 2 years. The flags and colours are bloody everywhere and not one has been removed.
