elda för kråkorna
Putting effort into something that goes unnoticed or unappreciated — like heating a room with the windows wide open, where only the crows outside benefit.
EverydayConcepts.io
Origin
Literally "heating for the crows," this Swedish proverb appears in collections dating to the 1860s, from a time when firewood was a family's most precious winter resource and waste could mean real hardship. The Norwegian equivalent, fyre for kråkene, carries the same meaning, suggesting deep roots across Scandinavian languages.
Updated February 22, 2026