Efi
What are some cool idioms or proverbs in your language that don't translate well into English?

In Swedish "Ingenting att hänga i julgranen" translates to "Nothing to hang on the Christmas tree" in English. It means something is not special enough. I think it's a fun saying.

 

I want to know what cool idioms/proverbs you can share. Let me know!

 

 

May 27, 2015 10:47 AM
Comments · 4

Sorry I want to share

May 27, 2015

I know many interesting idioms but know to share one.

Alma alma ağacı altına düşər, armud armud ağacı altına düşər - The apple falls under apple tree , the pear falls under the pear tree. It means everybody look like to their parents.

May 27, 2015

1. Руки не доходят посмотреть ("Hands don't get to see". no time to make long-planned deal)

2. Мне глубоко фиолетово ("Me deeply violet". I don't care)

3. Да нет, наверное ("Yes no, may be". no, but you have doubts)

May 27, 2015

This is actually quite a neat topic :) There would be many such expressions in Dutch also but some of the ones I can think of straight away:

 

1) Dat is van de pot gerukt (literally: the lid has been ripped off of the pot; figuratively: it is totally crazy).

 

2) Papieren kinderen (literally: paper children; figuratively: the books that someone wrote)

 

3) Dat staat als een paal boven water (literally: it is like a post/pole above water; figuratively: there is no doubt about it)

 

Even in the English language there are many proverbs that cannot be translated for those who do not share the same sub-culture. The Irish-English language is especially rife with very juicy, graphic and amuzing expressions, for example:

 

1) I wouldn't even give him the steam off of my own piss!

2) He looks like a hard-boiled shite

3) Are you pissing down my back?

4) We are sucking diesel

 

None of them would actually be considered proper English of course but the average Irish person could probably come up with hundreds of them or invent them on the spot :-)

May 27, 2015