pattern

Failure - Wastefulness

Explore English idioms that relate to wastefulness, including "bark at the moon" and "toing and froing".

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English idioms related to Failure
to [cry] over spilled milk

to feel upset or regretful about something that has already happened and cannot be undone

Ex: We can't change yesterday's decision, so let's not cry over spilled milk.
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to [cast|throw] pearls before swine

to do good things and waste valuable resources for ungrateful people

Ex: Buying expensive gifts for them is casting pearls before swine.
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to [break] even

(of a business) to reach a point that yields no success due to the profit being almost as equal as the costs

Ex: They didn't make a profit, but they did break even.
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to [chase] {one's} (own|) tail

to try hard yet achieve very little or nothing at all

Ex: He worked late every night but felt like he was chasing his tail.
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to [save] {one's} breath

to avoid wasting one's time and energy by not trying to persuade or convince someone who is unlikely to change their opinion or behavior

Ex: If they won't follow basic rules, save your breath.
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to [close|shut|lock] the (stable|barn) door after the horse (has bolted|is stolen)

to try to prevent something bad from happening after it has already happened

Ex: Buying insurance after the flood is like locking the barn door after the horse has bolted.
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square one

the point or situation from which one starts to do something

Ex: Losing all the files meant starting from square one.
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back to the drawing board

used when one has to return to the beginning of a process and redo the process after one's effort has failed

Ex: The experiment failed completely, so the researchers went back to the drawing board.
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from pillar to post

from one place or situation to another without a clear purpose or direction, often in a chaotic or haphazard manner

Ex: She was pushed from pillar to post by different departments all week.
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to [paint|gild] the lily

to unnecessarily adorn or decorate something that is already beautiful or perfect

Ex: Putting rhinestones on those classic shoes would gild the lily.
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to [face|come to|hit] (a|the) (brick|) wall

to reach a point where it is unlikely or too difficult to make any progress

Ex: I kept trying to fix the code, but I finally hit a wall.
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to [bark] at the moon

to take part in a protest that has no chance of reaching success

Ex: Writing angry letters to that closed committee is just barking at the moon.
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to [bark] up the wrong tree

to make a wrong decision about how to achieve or deal with something

Ex: If you're asking me for permission, you're barking up the wrong tree.
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to [beat] a dead horse

to waste energy on a lost cause

Ex: She tried to revive the failed campaign, but everyone knew she was beating a dead horse.
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to [bring] sand to the beach

to do something that is considered to be redundant or useless

Ex: Giving grammar tips to a professional editor is like bringing sand to the beach.
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to [come|go|turn] full circle

to go through a series of efforts or actions only to end up back where one started, highlighting the lack of progress or meaningful change

Ex: After all the reforms, the system went full circle and worked almost exactly as before.
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toing and froing

the act of repeatedly talking or thinking about something without reaching a clear conclusion

Ex: The toing and froing finally ended when the manager made the call.
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like nailing Jell-O to the wall

used to refer to a task that is s very difficult or impossible to do

Ex: Getting everyone to agree on one design felt like nailing Jell-O to the wall.
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like pouring water (in|into) a sieve

used when someone is doing something that is pointless or ineffective

Ex: Giving him reminders is like pouring water into a sieve; he forgets everything.
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like talking to a (brick|) wall

used to describe a frustrating or unproductive conversation with someone who is unresponsive or uninterested

Ex: Whenever I mention the budget, it's like talking to a brick wall.
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the (cake|game) [is] not worth the candle

the outcome or reward of a task is not worth the effort or resources required to achieve it

Ex: For such little profit, the whole project was not worth the candle.
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to [tread] water

to fail to make any progress in a job or task

Ex: We're busy every day, but honestly we're just treading water.
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