# screen door on a submarine

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/screen-door-on-a-submarine
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Something that is useless or absurd.

## Examples

- That plan is as useful as a screen door on a submarine.
- Trying to fix the leak with a piece of tape is like putting a screen door on a submarine.
- The proposed solution was so fundamentally flawed that it proved to be as effective as a screen door on a submarine.

## Origin

The idiom logic is derived from the observation that a screen door on a submarine is an absurdity, as the mesh would allow the vessel to fill with water immediately upon submergence. No specific date or individual is credited with the coinage in historical records.

---

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.