The 'Milk crate catching water' meme originates from the starkly visual metaphor of a plastic milk crate attempting to collect water from a fire hydrant. This image is a testament to the futility of certain efforts, as the crate, riddled with holes, is inherently incapable of retaining any water. It's a classic example of a scenario where the task at hand is doomed to fail from the start, much like trying to fill a sieve with sand. This meme appeals to anyone who's ever felt ill-equipped for a task, making it a recurring favorite in the meme universe for highlighting struggles with systems or tasks that are inherently flawed.