A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

burn the earth • scorch the earth
burn the earth —(U.S. coll., dated) go at full speed: When
they reached the brow of the hill, I was half a mile in the lead,
burning the earth…
scorch the earth —devastate all buildings, etc. in an area so
as to leave nothing to the advancing enemy: The Russians fell
back upon their main line of defense, “scorching the earth”
before this last convulsive thrust of the Nazi.
Note:
Neither expression correlates in meaning with the phrase
set the world on fire
—(usually negat.) do smth. remarkable and
cause a sensation (also: set the Thames on fire): She does the job
adequately but she’s not going to set the world on fire.
burn the water • set the Thames on fire
burn the water —(Fishermen) spear salmon by torchlight:
Water-bailiffs are sent up the rivers at certain times to prevent
“burning the water.”
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase boil the ocean— try smth. way too ambitious that cannot
reasonably be completed: Don’t attempt to boil the ocean. If
your initial concept is so grandiose that you can’t deliver, you’re
setting yourself up for failure.
set the Thames on fire —(usually negat.) do smth. remarkable
and cause a sensation (also: set the world on fire): When Sir
Gregory declared that Mr. Neverbend would never set the
Thames on fire, he meant to express his opinion that that gen-
tleman was a fool.
burst at the seams • come apart at the seams
burst at the seams —
1
. be full to overflowing; be crammed
with people or things: The little hall was practically bursting
at the seams. 2. be unable to contain one’s pride, uncontrolled
laughter, etc.: We laughed so hard we just about burst at the
seams.
come apart at the seams —(also: fall apart at the seams) 
1
. fall
into pieces; disintegrate: The old car is about ready to come
apart at the seams; its muffler is dragging and the windows
don’t close. 2. be in a very bad state; be about to fail: Oliver
and Jane began showing serious signs of stress; their relation-
ship was coming apart at the seams. 3. lose one’s composure
because of a severe mental strain; collapse emotionally: Poor
old Smith isn’t the man he used to be; he’s coming apart at
the seams.