5 Ways to Say Something is Pointless Around the World

Different cultures have unique ways of expressing the idea that something is pointless. These expressions, or idioms, often reflect the culture's perspective and values.

For instance, in English, when something is futile, we say it's "like a drop in a bucket." This implies that one small effort won't make a difference in a larger context.

In Japan, a similar concept is expressed with "a drop of water on a red-hot stone," emphasizing how quickly the effort evaporates without impact. Both of these phrases express a similar idea, but with a unique flavor.

Interestingly, the English idiom has biblical roots. In Isaiah 40:15, nations are described as "a drop in a bucket." But according to Matthew Henry and the Benson Commentary, this phrase may not mean what you think it does...

[quynhanhbui]

In Vietnam, it's "put salt into sea" 🇻🇳

[criollitoification]

As an Englishman I've never really heard "it's like a drop in a bucket", it's always been to me "it's like a drop in the ocean" and the meaning isn't that it's 'pointless' perse, but rather unfathomable, but yes it could be construed as pointlessness

[MsBobsnob]

Brasil:
"What is a fart for someone who has already shit themselves?"

[mementomori]

In Afrikaans (South Africa), we say it's like a fart in a thunderstorm

[minahaven]

It's 'ein Tropfen auf dem heißen Stein' (a drop on the hot stone) in German.

[jacobkroesche]

To blue collar workers, it’s called “pissing in the wind.”

[fikujez]

I always thought that "drop in the bucket/ocean" doesn't mean that something is pointless, but rather that it is MUCH less than what actually needs to be done.

[pigpig]

From England, literally always heard "drop in the ocean". And it's less about something being pointless, and more just about it being a tiny amount compared to the whole

[guatf]

"caring water to the ocean" or "mopping with the tap turned on" Is used often in the Netherlands

[LacsiraxAriscal]

Huh, is this just a US/U.K. difference I never knew about? Never heard drop in a bucket, it’s drop in the ocean for shre

[OrpheasVIPC]

In Greece, if somebody did something pointless, we say "You did a hole in the water"

[ЕгорГладких-шш]

In Russian we had two similar idioms about pointless things: "Носить воду решетом"(Carrying water with a sieve) and untranslatable "Переливать из пустого в порожнее"("Порожний"is kinda archaic form of "Пустой", both meaning "Empty")

[Ronam]

In Brazil when someone is useless we say they are “a zero to the left” because adding a zero to the left of a number doesn't do anything

[GiwrgosP]

In Greece we say " you made a hole in the water". Like for example you put your finger in the water and made hole which the closes up immediately.

[penta_]

In Chile we say "un cero a la izquierda", which literally means "a zero to the left", because in math all the zeros that are left to the number for example: are worthless/pointless

[damascuseverything]

As an english speaker I've only heard "a drop in the ocean". I'm guessing a the bucket is just a U.S. thing.

[stdio]

In Italy we day:" come un buco nell' acqua", translated: " it's likes a hole in the water"

[Vanillaflavouredcheese]

As a Canadian I heard "it's like a piss in the ocean, nobody will no."

[cyrildouchet]

In french, we also say « un coup d’épée dans l’eau » which means « a sword’s strike in water »

[cpkingadam]

I've never heard of drop in a bucket in the UK, must be a US thing