# chocolate teapot

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/chocolate-teapot
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Something totally useless.

## Examples

- That cheap umbrella is as useful as a chocolate teapot.
- The new software update is like a chocolate teapot because it crashes every time I open it.
- His elaborate plan to fix the economy proved to be as effective as a chocolate teapot, leaving the committee frustrated and without a solution.

## Origin

Derived from the phrase *useful as a chocolate teapot*. The term appears in English in the latter half of the 20th century, describing an object whose primary material composition ensures its immediate failure upon first use.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.