sell ice to Eskimos

English

Verb

sell ice to Eskimos (third-person singular simple present sells ice to Eskimos, present participle selling ice to Eskimos, simple past and past participle sold ice to Eskimos)

1. (idiomatic) To persuade people to go against their best interests or to accept something unnecessary or preposterous.

   He's such a smooth talker, he could sell ice to Eskimos.

Synonyms

• sell freezers to Eskimos
• sell salt to a slug
• sell snow to Eskimos

Translations

persuade people to accept something they don't need

• Romanian: vinde castraveți grădinarului (literally “sell cucumbers to the gardener”)
• Spanish: llevar naranjas a Valencia

See also

• charm the birds from the trees
• coals to Newcastle