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(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
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To Carry Coals to Newcastle (Origin)
What Is the Origin of the Saying "To Carry Coals to Newcastle"?
To carry coals to Newcastle means to do something pointless and superfluous.Newcastle upon Tyne (England) was a well-known coal-mining area and the United Kingdom's first coal exporting port. With so much coal already in Newcastle, taking more there was pointless.
Table of Contents
- English Proverbs and Idioms Test
- More Proverbs, Sayings, and Idioms
Examples of Use:
- Bringing sand to the beach would be like carrying coals to Newcastle; it's unnecessary and redundant.
- Trying to sell umbrellas in Japan is like carrying coals to Newcastle; there's already an abundance of them.
- Teaching his team basic coding is like carrying coals to Newcastle; they are already programming experts.
- Transporting coal to a mining town would be like carrying coals to Newcastle; they already have an abundance of it.
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Buy the Grammar Monster book.
Suitable for: Teachers, advanced students, and business writers.
Description: Published by London's Octopus Publishing, "Smashing Grammar" is the third, and most comprehensive, grammar reference book written by Craig Shrives (the founder of the Grammar-Monster.com). It is divided into three sections:
Description: Published by London's Octopus Publishing, "Smashing Grammar" is the third, and most comprehensive, grammar reference book written by Craig Shrives (the founder of the Grammar-Monster.com). It is divided into three sections:
- A-Z Grammar Glossary (This section explains grammar terminology, from the basics to advanced terms. It is especially useful because every entry concludes with a valuable and succinct explanation of why the grammar term matters for a writer.)
- A-Z of Punctuation (Packed with entertaining examples, this section provides definitive, well-explained rules for using all the principal punctuation marks. Punctuation should not be guesswork. There are rules.)
- A-Z of Easily Confused Words (This section covers all the homonyms and near homonyms that plague writers and offers tips on how to remember which to use.)
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