無駄足を踏む

むだあしをふむ

to go on a fool's errand, to go in vain

足駄

あしだ

high clogs, rain clogs

無駄

むだ

futility, uselessness, pointlessness

高足駄

たかあしだ

geta with high supports, tall clogs

無駄花

むだばな

blossom which fails to produce fruit, non-fruit-bearing flower

無駄飯

むだめし

living idly

無駄口

むだぐち

chatter, idle talk

無駄金

むだがね

wasted money

無駄話

むだばなし

gossip, idle talk, chat

無駄骨

むだぼね

useless, waste of time and effort, pointless, vain efforts

無駄言

むだごと

chatter, idle talk

無駄食い

むだぐい

eating between meals, living idly

無駄遣い

むだづかい

wasting... on (e.g. money), squandering, waste, frittering away

無駄吠え

むだぼえ

barking over nothing (of a dog); barking at passers-by or visitors

無駄時間

むだじかん

dead time

無駄死に

むだじに むだしに

dying in vain

無足人

むそくにん

low-status samurai without land, low-status farmer without land

無足類

むそくるい

caecilian (any burrowing legless amphibian of the order Gymnophiona)

無駄骨折り

むだぼねおり むだほねおり

laboring in vain or for no result, labouring in vain