carry water in a sieve—do futile work:
- It doesn’t look like I’ve accomplished a thing. I might as well have been carrying water in a sieve.
pour water into a sieve—
1. = carry water in a sieve:
- It is of no more use to give advice to the idle than to pour water into a sieve.
2. waste money:
- Charles is head over ears in debt, but he will not get another farthing from me. It is pouring water into a sieve.