sawdust

(someone) could sell sawdust to a lumber mill

Someone is an extremely smooth, charming, or persuasive salesperson, such that they could sell something to those who have no need or use for it. I can't believe you were able to sell an extra 200 units to the hospital. You could sell sawdust to a lumber mill!
See also: could, lumber, mill, sawdust, sell

hit the sawdust trail

1. dated To accept, practice, or convert to Christianity at an evangelist's revival meeting, so as to find redemption, rehabilitation, or spiritual salvation. Alludes to sawdust-covered aisles of the temporary church dwellings for revival meetings in the early 1900s. Primarily heard in US. That travelling evangelist has been pleading for everyone in town to hit the sawdust trail, for he believes that the end is nigh. My friend, the only way you will find peace within yourself is by hitting the sawdust trail at our meeting place over yonder.
2. dated Of an itinerant evangelist preacher, to begin traveling to the next location where one will preach. In this usage, "Sawdust Trail" is sometimes capitalized. Primarily heard in US. Old Bill Baxton? Shoot, he's been hitting the Sawdust Trail for the better part of his life. He probably wouldn't be able to settle down in one place if he tried!
See also: hit, sawdust, trail

spit-and-sawdust

Describing a basic, old-fashioned pub that is perhaps not as clean as more modernized establishments. In the past, many pubs had sawdust on the floor. Primarily heard in UK. You can keep all those trendy gastropubs. I just want a quiet spit-and-sawdust place where I can get a pint.

the sawdust circuit

dated The itinerary of or route taken by a traveling evangelist preacher. (Variant of the more common "sawdust trail.") Primarily heard in US. Old Bill Baxton? Shoot, he's been on the sawdust circuit for the better part of his life. He probably wouldn't be able to settle down in one place if he tried!
See also: circuit, sawdust

the sawdust trail

1. dated The path or journey to redemption or rehabilitation (as for a sinner or criminal) by accepting, practicing, or converting to Christianity at an evangelist revival meeting. Alludes to sawdust-covered aisles of the temporary church dwellings for revival meetings in the early 1900s. Primarily heard in US. That travelling evangelist has been pleading for everyone in town to hit the sawdust trail, for he believes that the end is nigh.
2. dated The itinerary of or route taken by a traveling evangelist preacher. Sometimes capitalized. Primarily heard in US. Old Bill Baxton? Shoot, he's been on the Sawdust Trail for the better part of his life. He probably wouldn't be able to settle down in one place if he tried!
See also: sawdust, trail
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

spit and sawdust

BRITISH
A spit and sawdust pub or bar is dirty, untidy, and does not look respectable. I used to perform with a rock and roll band in the spit and sawdust Waterfront club. There's a pub called `The Compasses' in the High Street if it's spit and sawdust you're after. Note: In the past, the public bars of many pubs had sawdust on the floor to soak up the mess caused by people spitting and spilling their drinks.
See also: and, sawdust, spit
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

spit and sawdust

(of a pub) old-fashioned, run-down, or dirty. British informal
Until the mid 20th century, the general bar of a pub would often have sawdust sprinkled on the floor, on to which the customers could spit.
See also: and, sawdust, spit
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • (someone) could sell sawdust to a lumber mill
  • Eskimo
  • lumber
  • (someone) could sell an icebox to an Eskimo
  • (someone) could sell ice to Eskimos
  • talk (one's) way into (something or some place)
  • talk (one's) way out of (something)
  • talk way out of
  • talk your way out of something/out of doing something
  • smoothie
References in periodicals archive
These manufactured logs replace the sawdust with recycled coffee grounds.
Burn fireplace logs for ambience, not heat
(2001) are in relevance to this study on the management of plant parasitic nematodes by using pigeon manure and sawdust.
Short Communication - Management of Plant Parasitic Nematodes Associated with Walnut (Juglans regia L.) by using Organic Amendments
The centuries-old Laws of Cricket, drafted in 1744, specifically prescribe that sawdust be rubbed into the ground to soak up puddles that put bowlers at risk of slipping, particularly after heavy rain.
Sawdust 'misunderstanding' just isn't cricket
The findings indicated that effects of white rot fungi on Populus nigra sawdust significantly decreased DM, NDF, ADF and OM while EE, ash content, DM and NDF degradability parameters were significantly increased.
EFFECT OF FUNGAL TREATMENT ON RUMEN DEGRADABILITY AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF POPULUS NIGRA SAWDUST AS LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMAS
From this information, the use of rubberwood sawdust (RWS) as a reinforcement in the TPNR composites is of great interest.
Composites from Thermoplastic Natural Rubber Reinforced Rubberwood Sawdust: Effects of Sawdust Size and Content on Thermal, Physical, and Mechanical Properties
Sawdust toilets, which are my favorite, are really just buckets of sawdust and nutrient-rich human excretions.
Sick hack
A container with known dimensions and weight was used to measure the sawdust, where the number, weight and volume of each full container was recorded.
Complementing firewood with alternative energy sources in Rio Pardo Watershed, Brazil/Fontes alternativas para energia em complementacao a lenha na Bacia Hidrografica do Rio Pardo, Brasil
orientalis was ground in the Richter mill and screened through 40 to 80-mesh sieve to obtain sawdust samples.
Thermal behavior of Liquidambar orientalis mill wood before and after extraction processes/Ekstraksiyon islemleri oncesi ve sonrasi Liquidambar orientalis mill. odununun termal davranisi
Sawdust is an inexpensive, widely available, and abundant natural material.
Optical and Structural Properties of Solvent Free Synthesized Starch/Chitosan-ZnO Nanocomposites
The cattle manure is generally collected by using bedding materials such as sawdust and rice hull in Korea, thus composting is the most common treatment method of collected cattle manure and bedding material mixtures.
Evaluation of optimum moisture content for composting of beef manure and bedding material mixtures using oxygen uptake measurement
Each year Platts produces thousands of tonnes of shavings, sawdust and wood pellets from raw material sourced from saw mills around Britain.
Sawdust firm beds in for the long haul; Wrexham's Platts Animal Bedding aims big with PS1m investment
M2 EQUITYBITES-December 10, 2015-Doppler Labs, National Sawdust bring 'Here Active Listening to Brooklyn
Doppler Labs, National Sawdust bring 'Here Active Listening to Brooklyn
TELECOMWORLDWIRE-December 10, 2015-Doppler Labs, National Sawdust bring 'Here Active Listening to Brooklyn
Doppler Labs, National Sawdust bring 'Here Active Listening to Brooklyn
However, sawdust generated by wood processing is not fully utilized and is burned or discarded directly, except for some recycling by the agricultural and food industries.
Gaseous emission and thermal analysis during co-combustion of oil shale semi-coke and sawdust using TG-FTIR
The Spit and Sawdust skatepark in Cardiff will host a performance of Venus and Adonis by singers from Opera Mint and musicians from the Pavane Early Music Group.
Skatepark hosts opera performance for first time