this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2024
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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."

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[–] bus_factor@lemmy.world 18 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

In Norwegian we say "helt sylta" ("completely pickled") when we have a very stuffy nose. I tried using that idiom when calling out of work in the US once, and was informed that I had just told them I was too drunk to go to work!

[–] Holyhandgrenade@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago (3 children)

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

[–] Susaga@ttrpg.network 6 points 10 months ago

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

[–] bus_factor@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

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

[–] BaardFigur@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

We also have:

"Ta ein spansk ein"
"Take a spanish one"

Doing a half-assed solution

[–] Aremel@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Cubans have the antonym to that:

Aserlo como los blancos "Do it like white people"

Do it properly 😜

[–] Lmaydev@programming.dev 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yeah it's common in English that saying "I'm Xed" means drunk.

Fucked, twated, trollied, muntered, cunted, steamed etc.

[–] bus_factor@lemmy.world 13 points 10 months ago (2 children)

According to John Oliver you can use any noun, like for example "gazeboed".

[–] Skyhighatrist@lemmy.ca 8 points 10 months ago (2 children)

That's generally true, but there are some exceptions. For instance. "I'm pissed" can either mean "I'm drunk" or "I'm angry" depending on where you are and the context.

[–] ABCDE@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

UK would always be drunk, in my experience.

[–] Skyhighatrist@lemmy.ca 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, that's one of the geographical differences I was alluding to. In Canada it can mean either depending on context.

[–] ABCDE@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

That's interesting to know. I guess there has been some cultural spillover in the UK so some may use it the American style, I just haven't heard it.

[–] bus_factor@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Yeah, some nouns are already taken, that's fair. Like "shafted".

[–] Lmaydev@programming.dev 7 points 10 months ago

100% people in the UK would know what you meant straight away.