焼やけ石いしに水みず

expression

a drop in the bucket; too little, too late; futile effort

Idiomatic expression meaning that a small effort or amount is completely inadequate to solve a large problem, like pouring water on a hot stone.

• こんな少しょう額がくの寄き付ふでは焼やけ石いしに水みずだ。

  A donation this small is just a drop in the bucket.

• 一人ひとりで掃そう除じしても焼やけ石いしに水みずで、すぐにまた散ちらかってしまう。

  Cleaning alone is a futile effort; it gets messy again right away.