Ice to Eskimos in the eastern us. Yes, I know Eskimo isn't preferred but that didn't stop Nana.
this post was submitted on 25 May 2024
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Same, or "he could sell igloos to eskimos" to describe an especially skilled salesman.
I've heard "It's like selling ice to Eskimos" used in the context of the OP
Yeah, I've only ever heard it in the "he could sell..." formulation.
Guess we're getting pretty far from the "things to place" idea, but there's always "preaching to the choir"
Carrying water to the sea is the Dutch version.
Seems like that should actually be quite a useful task in the Netherlands considering all the polders!
Of course the Dutch version is about water
Taking guns to America?
What does the phrase mean?
It means to pointlessly take something to a place that already has it in abundance.
Coals to Newcastle works well in Australia too. (I don't think I've ever actually heard that in practice though.)
Same, never heard it used here, and I can't think of any other Australian equivalents.
Australia also has a Newcastle (in New South Wales, north of Sydney). Not sure if it has/had coal mines, though I wouldnβt be surprised if it did. Australians using the phrase may be referring to their Newcastle, and even unaware of the English one.
Australia also has a Newcastle (in New South Wales, north of Sydney)
Yes, that's why I mentioned it. When I said "works well in Australia", what I meant was "in theory, the same logic you used to apply it to Newcastle-upon-Tyne could be used to apply it to Newcastle, NSW", and not that it actually is used in Australia (I know I've never heard it).
Not sure if it has/had coal mines
Not just does it, but it is in fact home to Australia's largest coal-shipping port. In fact, Port of Newcastle is, according to Wikipedia, the world's largest coal terminal.
Apparently "owls to Athens" is common across Europe? "Wood to the forest" is a variant in the US
It is known in Germany, "Eulen nach Athen tragen". I've heard the explanation that the currency of Athens in antiquity had owl on one side.
Is "Owls to Athens" a reference to Athena?
Yes and no. It's a circular relationship. The proverb is known to have already existed in Ancient Greece. The pantheon (the version that existed before Xerxes torched the place) was apparently inhabited by tons of owls, especially it's roof construction. Since the pantheon was a temple to Athena, people assumed Athena held Owls holy and the owl became linked to Athena, and since Athena was the goddess of wisdom, Owls became a symbol of wisdom. Since the city and her patron goddess are related by name, Athens is linked to owls as well.
But for the meaning: It's to be taken literally. There were many owls in Athens, so they'd not exactly need any more.
Originally it must be, but the animal itself became associated with the city too (for example their coinage almost always had an owl on it)
I don't know. My coworker just said that owls are a symbol of wisdom, and Athens (historically) is the center of wisdom.
I feel like the closest in the deep south is just "preaching to the choir". A redundant task which ignores a probably better path or explaining something to someone who doesn't need it explained to them.
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.
kinda makes doing a pointless exercise sound like a good thing.
Does it really?
To me it sounds like something that would be hard or impossible and stupid to even try. Kinda like taking coal to Newcastle is pretty stupid and you will lose money doing it.
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Germany:
- carry owls to Athens
Regional:
- bring beer to Munich
- carry peat to the bog
- carry water to the Rhine
- drive snails to Metz
Bringing juggalos to SXSW
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."
Bringing sand to Sahara
"Selling sand in sahara."
Taking weed to BC (Canada)
Bring weed to Oregon.
Taking sand to the beach.
In Spanish we have "llevar leΓ±a a la montaΓ±a" (take firewood to the mountain) as well as "llevar hierro a Vizcaya" which is take iron to Vizcaya, a city in Spain
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?
I had to look it up and apparently it's "mencurahkan garam ke laut" a.k.a. "bringing salt to the sea" (Indonesian)
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.
What does Ukraine have to do with Estonia and why is it burning?
Or is your entire meaning just fucked up by your formatting?
We would say ag tabhairt liΓΊdar go Toraigh (carrying coalfish (pollachius virens) to Tory Island)
Or ag cuimilt saille/blonΓ³ige de thΓ³in na muice mΓ©ithe (rubbing lard on a fat pig's arse)
Ceann amhΓ‘in eile: cloch go Conamara
Kind of an odd saying, I'm 100% sure Newcastle uses gas for their grill and not a single fast food place uses charcoal grills. If you brought coal to Newcastle, they would have no use for such a thing.
Did you mean White Castle?
Oh shit I got confused...
In my defense, I've never heard of Newcastle until today.
That is the funniest response I've seen all week.
Holy shit π¬
It's an archaic saying but that doesn't mean that the meaning has been lost.
Almost the entire industrial revolution was coal powered and the most common fuel for heating homes was coal. Coal used to be an extremely popular and useful commodity.
Edit: I now see that you thought the town of Newcastle was the fast food chain White Castle lol. I did wonder why you were going on about grills!
What??