You probably know what it means to hit the hay, tie the knot or buy a lemon. Maybe youβve already killed two birds with one stone today, so effortlessly that it was a piece of cake. But to a non-English speaker, using these phrases would probably make you sound crazy β¦ or should I say gone crackers?
Thatβs the fun thing about idioms. They change depending on the time, place and culture creating them. In other words, they usually sound ridiculous to anyone except those who normally use them. Looking at turns of phrase in different languages helps us see the world through different eyes. And man does it seem impressive at a party.
Just think, instead of saying βitβs raining cats and dogs,β next time you could incorporate a more Lithuanian take, and say βitβs raining axes.β How metal is that?
It can also be raining old women, barrels, buckets, pipe stems, frogs, female trolls, fire and brimstone β¦ depending on where youβre from.
Some of these idioms from around the world make a lot of sense. Others get so lost in translation, you canβt help but get tickled pink.
"Now your fishes will be warmed."Photo credit: Canva
Swedish
βNu ska du fΓ₯ dina fiskar vΓ€rmda.β
Literal translation: Now your fishes will be warmed.
It's another way of saying someoneβs in trouble, or their βgoose is cooked.β
The Swedish language is definitely not lacking in the threats department. They also have a saying, βnu har du satt din sista potatis,β which translates to βnow you have planted your last potato.β
Imagine hearing Batman say βYouβve planted your last potato, Joker.β Doesn't have quite the intended effect.
"To have oneβs eyes lined with ham."Photo credit: Canva
Italian
βAvere gli occhi foderati di prosciutto.β
Literal translation: To have oneβs eyes lined with ham.
Leave it to the Italians to have food-related phrases. You can use this when someone canβt see whatβs right in front of them. It can also be used when someone is blinded by love. Sadly, there is no βham-colored glassesβ idiom.
"To lay your head in water."Photo credit: Canva
Icelandic
βAΓ° leggja hΓΆfuΓ°iΓ° Γ bleyti.β
Literal translation: To lay your head in water.
You say this when you βneed to sleep on something,β or βput your thinking cap on.β This one is hilarious because I cannot fathom getting any mental clarity from holding my head in the water.
"Repetition teaches the donkey."Photo credit: Canva
Arabic
"At-Tikraar yuβallem al-Himaar.β
Literal translation: Repetition teaches the donkey.
Practice makes perfect, but it especially does for donkeys. Animal-themed wisdom at its finest.
"I only understand train station."Photo credit: Canva
German
"Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof."
Literal translation: I only understand train station.
It's another way of saying βitβs all Greek to me.β
The history of this one is a bit mysterious. One theory is that it originated from WWI soldiers who had only one thing on their mind after getting discharged: returning home. Meaning, they could only comprehend the train station that would lead them there. Others say it refers to tourists new to Germany who have really only learned the German word for βtrain station.β Which would indicate that everything else is foreign to them.
And letβs not forget βnicht mein bier, nicht meine sorgen,β translating to βnot my beer, not my worries.β
(Fun fact: The term βnot my circus, not my monkeysβ actually stems from a Polish proverb, not an English saying at all.)
"To speak directly from the liver."Photo credit: Canva
Norwegian
βΓ
snakke rett fra leveren.β
Literal translation: To speak directly from the liver.
When you say something without sugar-coating it, you are speaking directly from the liver. This dates back to a time when the liver was thought to be the magical organ that produced courage. So speaking from the liver is just like speaking from the heart, only down and to the right a little.
"Horse horse, tiger tiger."Photo credit: Canva
Chinese
βMama huhu.β
Literal translation: Horse horse, tiger tiger.
You can use it to say something is just okay. Not good, not bad, just β¦ meh.
As the story goes, a Chinese painter who, not very good at his craft, created a drawing of an animal that looked sort of like a tiger, and sort of like, you guessed it, a horse. That story actually has a tragic ending that serves as a cautionary tale against carelessness. But nowadays it takes on a lighter connotation.
And like βcomme ci, comme caβ in French, βhorse horse, tiger tigerβ isnβt quite as commonly spoken as non-native speakers would assume.
Language continues to be an ever-evolving and always entertaining way to not only appreciate other cultures, but also note the similarities. Words might change slightly, but ultimately we're all expressing the same things.
This article originally appeared three years ago.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't