Don't oil your basket

Old Australian slang, derived from mid-late 1850s during the gold rush era.

The phrase was originally used by prospectors in reference, to their panning techniques and equipment maintenance. It is thought to be in reference to the practise of oiling ones pan before panning for gold, this was found to be a hindrance on yield.

Seldom heard in modern vernacular, the term now refers to describe any sort of practise which could be deemed inefficient or causing pronounced difficulty in a task.

Person 1 - "Hey, did you want these results chartered?"

Person 2 - "Nah, don't oil your basket"

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