Carry coals to Newcastle

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Meaning

Supply something where it is already plentiful, making the effort needless. Newcastle refers to Newcastle upon Tyne, not another city of the same name. Regional use: British English; understood more widely as a traditional proverb.

Origin

Newcastle upon Tyne was a major English coal-exporting centre, so taking coal there furnished an obvious image of redundancy. Related wording is recorded in the late 16th century, and Thomas Fuller explicitly explained the proverbial sense in the 1660s.

Variants

  • Take coals to Newcastle
  • Bring coals to Newcastle
  • Sell coal to Newcastle

Usage Examples

  • Sending another coffee machine to that crowded staff kitchen would be carrying coals to Newcastle.
  • He brought gardening advice to a room full of horticulturists, rather like carrying coals to Newcastle.

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