break a butterfly on a wheel

To use excessive force to accomplish something that can be done with far less.

Break a butterfly on a wheel: Sending a SWAT team to deal with a fifteen year old kid disturbing the peace by having his music turned up too loud.

The original phrase "Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?" was a line from the poem "Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot”, which referenced an ancient torture method known as the “breaking wheel” or “Catherine wheel”.

break a butterfly on a wheel by |SaltyJack| August 31, 2019

Get merch

Get the break a butterfly on a wheel mug.

See more merch

break a butterfly on the wheel

to waste effort on something that there is no chance of succeeding at.

He keeps trying to get it published but I think he is just trying to break a butterfly on the wheel

break a butterfly on the wheel by Mehrdad.Hosseiny January 24, 2009

Get merch

stove

Cigarette: Northern slang for a cigarette, used oft by mashed up mancunian ravers becasue of the resemblance of a hot(electric)stove to the end of a lit cigarette. Originated circa 1991 in the early halcyon days of the rave culture; we speculate during a drug fuelled hallucination by said manc.

'fuck me noel, i am bolloxed, is that a ciggy in your mouth, or the stove from me 'nans kitchen'/
General use: 'Give us a stove you cunt'

stove by anthony willison March 18, 2004

Word of the Day on August 4, 2026

Get merch

Walky-Talky

A derogatory term for able bodied people or people that can walk. This definition was coined by disabled influencer Valerie Weber

Person in wheelchair: “look at that walky-talky over there.”

Friend in wheelchair: *looking at person who is walking* “yeah haha”

Walky-Talky by odd muffin October 5, 2021

Word of the Day on August 3, 2026

Get merch

Scrapnel

(N) :
All pieces left over after an art project or home improvement.

"After we made the decorations for the party, there was 'scrapnel' all over the floor"

Scrapnel by IceSniper February 22, 2025

Word of the Day on August 2, 2026

Get merch

Hardo

A hardo is a person who tries extremely hard at everything. Most times a hardo will try very hard at things that do not require excessive effort. For example, sports practices, gym class, etc.

Wow did you see Jack at practice today? What a hardo!

Hardo by Thuhkilluh September 4, 2014

Word of the Day on August 1, 2026

Get merch

rawr xD

a sign of love or flirtatious language between two emo people.

do you want to go listen to peirce the veil later? rawr xD

okeeez rawr xD

rawr xD by okeeeeeeeeez July 4, 2016

Word of the Day on July 31, 2026

Get merch