Swedish idioms
Idioms always give me a smile. I hope these Swedish ones and their English equivalents do the same for you:
To make a hen out of a feather = to make a mountain out of a molehill
Suspecting owls in the bog = something fishy’s going on
Crossing the river to get water = doing something in a roundabout fashion
Caught with his beard in the mailbox = caught with his pants down
Shame walks on dry land = immorality wins the day
Don’t buy the pig while it’s still in the bag = don’t get a pig in the poke
Don’t sell the skin before the bear is shot = don’t count your chickens before they hatch
There’s a dog buried here = there’s more to this than meets the eye
Pull one’s nose = pull one’s leg
I’ll get you for old cheese = revenge will be mine
Like a cat around hot porridge = fidgety & difficult about it
Gnomes in the attic = bats in the belfry
The cream on the mash = the icing on the cake
No cow on the ice = no immediate danger
If any of these struck your fancy, please let me know in the comments section.
My thanks go out to this week’s sources: Lost in Stockholm, Doctor Spin, Omniglot, & English Forums
He's got his rump in the butter dish = Well, doesn't he have money to burn
ReplyDeleteI love "ingen ko på isen"! Also coming from a rural area.
Greetings & welcome Gabriella,
DeleteBig thanks for the rump in the butter dish. That's brilliant. Thanks for coming by.
These are so fun. Interesting we have the same one about pigs in bags. (I understand a "poke" is a sack of some kind.) My favorites here are the owls in the bog and the gnomes in the attic. I think I may have to adopt the gnomes one. :-)
ReplyDeleteHello Anne -- I believe everyone Camilla meets has a few gnomes in the attic! Thanks for coming by.
DeleteThose Swedes have very creative imaginations! I also love the gnomes in the attic. I feel like I have a few wandering around in mine these days. And they are making a lot of noise.
ReplyDeleteHa! Lately my gnomes are having a party. Thanks for popping by.
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