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

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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”.