selling snow to Eskimos
Pointless persuasion attempt
Selling snow to Eskimos describes convincing someone to buy something they already have in abundance, or don't need.
The phrase captures both impressive salesmanship and absurd redundancy—Eskimos live surrounded by snow.
It's often used admiringly: That guy could sell snow to Eskimos.
Sometimes the point is the futility of the effort rather than the skill involved.
- sales pitchPersuasive commercial presentation
- charismaMagnetic personal appeal
- used car salesmanDealer of pre-owned vehicles
- target audienceIntended recipients of content
- paradoxSeemingly absurd truth
stereotype · ridiculousness · incongruity · pitch · smooth talker · hyperbole · cliché · idiom · satire · snake oil · too good to be true · buyer beware · humor · exaggeration · tall tale · futility · coals to Newcastle · irony