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толочь воду в ступе stresses
gen.	thresh over old straw; plow the sands; thresh straw; mill the wind (Anglophile); mill the air (Anglophile); carry water in a sieve (Anglophile); tread water (Anglophile); beat a dead horse (Дмитрий_Р); waste one’s time; beat the air
Игорь Миг	kick the can down the road
disappr.	speak for buncombe (igisheva); speak to buncombe (igisheva); talk for buncombe (igisheva); talk to buncombe (igisheva)
idiom.	kick a dead horse (Баян); flog a dead horse (Баян); beat the air (дословно: Молотить воздух); bastle flints with butter; chase moonbeams (Am.E. cnlweb)
inf.	talk
Makarov.	thrash old straw; thrash over straw; baste flints with butter; beat the wind; fish in the air; plough the air; plough the sands; thrash over old straw; thrash straw
nonstand.	ride around (A111981)
proverb	drop a bucket into an empty well (дословно: Кидать ведро в пустой колодец); plough the sand (дословно: Пахать песок); pour water into a sieve (дословно: Лить воду в решето); a cold coal to blow at; make bricks without straw; seek a hare in a hen's nest; whistle jigs to milestone
saying.	seek a lost elephant in an earthen pot (george serebryakov); seek a hare in a hen's nest (george serebryakov)
slang	beat about the bush (Mirinare); re-hash; rehash
толочь воду в ступе букв.: пахать песок
Makarov., proverb	plough the sand

толочь воду в ступе: 15 phrases in 2 subjects

General	1
Proverb	14