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  1. 19-Sep-2005, 01:24 #1
    Idiomaticus
    Idiomaticus is offline Junior Member
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    Smile making bets in a burning house

    I heard in some movie this idiom: "making bets in a burning house". I think it means in vain, a futile effort. Does anybody know the roots of this idiom? And are there other idioms of the same meaning?
  2. 19-Sep-2005, 04:14 #2
    Tdol
    Tdol is offline Editor, UsingEnglish.com
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    Default Re: making bets in a burning house

    We have 'fiddling while Rome burns', which comes from a story that the Emperor Nero played the violin while the city burned down.
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