portare nottole ad Atene

Italian

Alternative forms

• portare civette ad Atene (literally “carry owls to Athens”)

Etymology

Literally, “carry noctules/owls to Athens”, calque of Ancient Greek γλαῦκ' εἰς Ἀθήνας (glaûk' eis Athḗnas, literally “owls to Athens”), a proverb. Compare English bring owls to Athens.

Verb

portàre nottole ad Atene (first-person singular present pòrto nottole ad Atene, first-person singular past historic portài nottole ad Atene, past participle portàto nottole ad Atene, auxiliary avére)

1. (idiomatic) to bring owls to Athens, to carry coals to Newcastle; to undertake a pointless, redundant, unnecessary, superfluous, or highly uneconomical venture

   Synonym: portare vasi a Samo (literally “carry jars to Samos”)