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Meaning of carry coals to Newcastle | Babel Free

Verb CEFR C2

Definitions

To do something that is unneeded or redundant.

idiomatic

Equivalents

Čeština nosit dříví do lesa

Deutsch Eulen nach Athen tragen Holz in den Wald tragen Wasser ins Meer tragen

Español llevar hierro a Vizcaya llevar leña al monte

Suomi kantaa vettä kaivoon

Français porter de l'eau à la rivière

Italiano portare civette ad Atene portare nottole ad Atene portare vasi a Samo

日本語無駄骨を折る

Nederlands uilen naar Athene dragen water naar de zee dragen

Polski wozić drewno do lasu

Português chover no molhado levar água ao mar

Examples

“However curious it may seem for an oil-ship to be borrowing oil on the whale-ground, and however much it may invertedly contradict the old proverb about carrying coals to Newcastle, yet sometimes such a thing really happens; and in the present case Captain Derick De Deer did indubitably conduct a lamp-feeder as Flask did declare.”

“He's the fellow who likes to let off stink bombs in night clubs, which rather falls under the head of carrying coals to Newcastle […]”

CEFR level

Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.

Meaning of carry coals to Newcastle | Babel Free

Definitions

Equivalents

Examples

CEFR level

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