Ice to Eskimos in the eastern us. Yes, I know Eskimo isn't preferred but that didn't stop Nana.

Carrying water to the sea is the Dutch version.

Taking guns to America?

What does the phrase mean?

Coals to Newcastle works well in Australia too. (I don't think I've ever actually heard that in practice though.)

Apparently "owls to Athens" is common across Europe? "Wood to the forest" is a variant in the US

I feel like the closest in the deep south is just "preaching to the choir". A redundant task which ignores a probably better path or explaining something to someone who doesn't need it explained to them.

I think "selling ice to Eskimos" is the American equivalent. Naturally, the version of this phrase: 1) involves an exonym that's a bit offensive 2) kinda makes doing a pointless exercise sound like a good thing.

Germany:

• carry owls to Athens

Regional:

• bring beer to Munich
• carry peat to the bog
• carry water to the Rhine
• drive snails to Metz

Bringing juggalos to SXSW

We also use "taking coals to Newcastle" here in the Midwestern U.S. (Something about being descended from former British colonies...) But I've heard plenty of riffs on that idea, like, "bringing corn to Iowa."

Bringing sand to Sahara

"Selling sand in sahara."

Taking weed to BC (Canada)

Bring weed to Oregon.

In Poland it is „nosić drewno do lasu” (bring wood to the forest). Similar, but a bit different (pointless not just by being pointless, but by being impossible): „nie zawrócisz kijem Wisły” – 'you won't turn Vistula (our biggest river) with a stick'.

In Spanish we have "llevar leña a la montaña" (take firewood to the mountain) as well as "llevar hierro a Vizcaya" which is take iron to Vizcaya, a city in Spain

Taking sand to the beach.

When I first heard this phrase, Andy Cole was playing for Newcastle and it was very confusing to me wee mind... Cole's to Newcastle what?

I had to look it up and apparently it's "mencurahkan garam ke laut" a.k.a. "bringing salt to the sea" (Indonesian)

Bringing even more flags to :estonia-cool: especially in the last 2 years. The flags and colours are bloody everywhere and not one has been removed.

I'm in the midlands and never heard that phrase but I have heard taking ice to the eskimos, which might be offensive now.

We would say ag tabhairt liúdar go Toraigh (carrying coalfish (pollachius virens) to Tory Island)

Or ag cuimilt saille/blonóige de thóin na muice méithe (rubbing lard on a fat pig's arse)

Kind of an odd saying, I'm 100% sure Newcastle uses gas for their grill and not a single fast food place uses charcoal grills. If you brought coal to Newcastle, they would have no use for such a thing.