What are some (non-English) idioms, and what do they mean (both literally and in context)? Odd ones, your favorite ones - any and all are welcome. :)

For example, in English I might call someone a “good egg, meaning they’re a nice person. Or, if it’s raining heavily, I might say “it’s raining cats and dogs.

  • Holyhandgrenade
    arrow-up
    12
    arrow-down
    0
    ·
    8 months ago
    link
    fedilink

    I love the Norwegian “helt Texas” or “completely Texas”, which means something’s totally crazy. Probably a reference to Westerns.

    • SusagaEnglish
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      0
      ·
      8 months ago
      link
      fedilink

      I feel like it’s accurate to say Texas is completely Texas.

    • bus_factor
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      0
      ·
      8 months ago
      link
      fedilink

      A classic! I don’t know how I forgot to mention that one, I even coincidentally explained it to someone earlier today!

      • Aremel
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        0
        ·
        8 months ago
        link
        fedilink

        Cubans have the antonym to that:

        Aserlo como los blancos “Do it like white people”

        Do it properly 😜

      • bus_factor
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        0
        ·
        8 months ago
        link
        fedilink

        Almost forgot “jalla” or “jallamekk”, originally adopted by Norwegian military from a middle eastern word for “fast”, meaning a quick and dirty, but not particularly high quality, solution.

    • amio
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      0
      ·
      8 months ago
      link
      fedilink

      Or, y’know, Texas.