05:24 Nov 29, 2011 

Naomi, would you please post the answer to this question that you have 'found elsewhere'?

09:46 Nov 4, 2011 

The idiom is quite clear and it does not really matter in what context (context was given in the first discussion post, by the way), as it is a clear image: trying to get the water away while the tap is wide open, thus performing a useless activity with a clear goal that is achievable, but not in these circumstances. On another website I saw the idiom (not widely used, but I think it could be quite fun) 'emptying/trying to empty the ocean with a thimble'. Thus evoking the idea that the water will keep flowing into the ocean through the rivers and you are trying to empty the ocean with your thimble.

15:44 Nov 3, 2011 

As Writeaway points out, I don't think there's any point in posting agrees or disagrees here. Because we don't have any Dutch context, an agree simply means "I like this phrase", not "I believe this is the best translation for the context."

14:01 Nov 3, 2011 

I join Terry John Costin in saying '... the beauty of the Dutch original is that an unknowledgeable person can get the meaning immediately, with no further info needed '. It means 'solving a problem, while at the same time other problems appear'. It is applicable to any topic or context. I only hope there is an English saying for exactly the same meaning.

13:03 Nov 3, 2011 

Without seeing the actual context, all anyone can do is guess and hope. Peer comments are also meaningless because there is no way to tell who has posted a helpful answer. It gives Asker absolute power as judge and jury

13:00 Nov 3, 2011 

You haven't given us the Dutch text containing the phrase, which may be why you're getting so many very different answers. It's very hard to translate sayings like this in isolation - if we had several sentences, it would be much easier to find an answer.

11:09 Nov 3, 2011 

Rearranging deckchairs on the Titantic. These popped up in my TM. In other words, it's pointless.

11:05 Nov 3, 2011 

thank you both but it's not quite hitting the nail on the head. Existing projects have a lesser chance of succes because of a contsant flow of new projects which identify more problems/issues.