worth one’s salt; valuable; prolific &c. (productive) 168.
     adequate; efficient, efficacious; effective, effectual; expedient &c.
646.
     applicable, available, ready, handy, at hand, tangible; commodious,
adaptable; of all work. 
     Adv. usefully &c. adj.; pro bono publico[Lat].

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     #645.  Inutility. —­ N. inutility; uselessness &c. adj.;
inefficacy[obs3], futility; ineptitude, inaptitude; unsubservience[obs3]; inadequacy &c. (insufficiency) 640; inefficiency.&c. (incompetence) 158; unskillfulness &c. 699; disservice; unfruitfulness &c.(unproductiveness). 169; labor in vain, labor lost, labor of Sisyphus; lost trouble, lost labor; work of Penelope; sleeveless errand, wild goose chase, mere farce.
     tautology &c. (repetition) 104; supererogation &c. (redundancy) 641.
     vanitas vanitatum[Lat], vanity, inanity, worthlessness,
nugacity[obs3]; triviality &c. (unimportance) 643.
     caput mortuum[Lat][obs3], waste paper, dead letter; blunt tool.
     litter, rubbish, junk, lumber, odds and ends, cast-off clothes; button
top; shoddy; rags, orts[obs3], trash, refuse, sweepings, scourings, offscourings[obs3], waste, rubble, debris, detritus; stubble, leavings; broken meat; dregs &c. (dirt) 653; weeds, tares; rubbish heap, dust hole; rudera[obs3], deads[obs3].
     fruges consumere natus &c. (drone) 683[Lat][Horace]. 
     V. be useless &c.  Adj.; go a begging &c. (redundant) 641; fail &c.
732.
     seek after impossibilities, strive after impossibilities; use vain
efforts, labor in vain, roll the stone of Sisyphus, beat the air, lash the waves, battre l’eau avec un baton[Fr], donner un coup d’epee dans l’eau[Fr], fish in the air, milk the ram, drop a bucket into an empty well, sow the sand; bay the moon; preach to the winds, speak to the winds; whistle jigs to a milestone; kick against the pricks, se battre contre des moulins[Fr]; lock the stable door when the steed is stolen, lock the barn door after the horse is stolen &c. (too late) 135; hold a farthing candle to the sun; cast pearls before swine &c. (waste) 638; carry coals to Newcastle &c. (redundancy) 641; wash a blackamoor white &c. (impossible) 471.
     render useless &c. adj.; dismantle, dismast, dismount, disqualify,
disable; unrig; cripple, lame &c. (injure) 659; spike guns, clip the wings; put out of gear. 
     Adj. useless, inutile, inefficacious, futile, unavailing, bootless;
inoperative &c. 158; inadequate &c. (insufficient) 640; inservient|, unsubservient; inept, inefficient &c. (impotent) 158; of no avail &c. (use) 644; ineffectual &c. (failure) 732; incompetent &c. (unskillful) 699; “stale, flat and unprofitable”; superfluous &c. (redundant) 641; dispensable; thrown away &c. (wasted) 638; abortive &c. (immature) 674.
     worthless, valueless, priceless; unsalable; not worth a straw &c.
(trifling) 643 dear at any price.
     vain, empty, inane;