baptising a billy goat
The phrase "baptising a billy goat" is a phrase used mostly in the Southeast part of the United States. It is used to describe a useless activity that will produce no meaningful results. It is often concluded with the phrase "It's trouble for nothing."
John got caught red-handed with his bestfriend's girlfriend. Trying to convince his friend that he didn't mean anything by it was like "baptising a billy goat. It was trouble for nothing.
Or
Trying to get Dick Cheney to join the ACLU would be like baptising a billy goat. It's trouble for nothing.
Or
Trying to get Dick Cheney to join the ACLU would be like baptising a billy goat. It's trouble for nothing.