coals to Newcastle

English

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• carry coals to Newcastle

Etymology

Newcastle upon Tyne (in Britain) was a major coal exporting city, so sending coal there would be pointless.

Noun

coals to Newcastle

1. (idiomatic) A pointless venture, in the sense of sending something to a place where it's made, or where they already have an abundance.
   • 1935, attributed to King George V of the United Kingdom (but possibly a then-circulating joke; see wikiquote):

     No more coals to Newcastle, no more Hoares to Paris

Translations

a pointless venture

Czech: nosit dříví do lesa (cs), literally "bring wood into the forest" Georgian: ზღვას ქვიშას უმატებენო (ka) (zğvas k‘višas umatebeno) German: Eulen nach Athen tragen (de)

Icelandic: (carry water to an overflowing stream) bera í bakkafullan lækinn (is) Latin: in silvam ligna ferre (la) (carry wood into the forest) Russian: в Тулу со своим самоваром (ru)

See also

• owls to Athens