waste breath

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waste breath (third-person singular simple present wastes breath, present participle wasting breath, simple past and past participle wasted breath)

1. (idiomatic) To speak in a manner which is needless or futile; in discussion or argument to make points which are not appreciated or heeded.
   • 1827, James Fenimore Cooper, chapter 24, in The Prairie:

     Middleton and Paul saw no use in wasting their breath in remonstrances against this proposal.

   • 1906, John Kendrick Bangs, chapter 1, in R. Holmes & Co.:

     Why waste breath saying self-evident things?

   • 2009 May 19, “Akshay jealous of Sanjay's tattoos?”, in Times of India, retrieved 14 June 2009:

     "Please don't waste your breath asking me ridiculous questions," he says.

• Frequently used with a possessive adjective: waste my / your / his / her / our / their breath.

• like talking to a wall
• waste of breath