Game: Idioms from around the world

[Nick]

Anyone who not only travels a lot but likes hanging out with locals will know some idioms from other languages. Those weird, fascinating phrases whose figurative meaning has nothing to do with the literal one, and yet they play an important role in communication. They are unique to a place and its language, amplifying a message while drawing the audience in.

They give clues about the customs and values of their originating culture. They are funny, cool and knowing those of a different language marks the difference between mechanically parroting a series of words in a grammatically correct fashion, and beginning to "think" in that language. 

For this game, I gathered some funny phrases from around the world. From Korea to Poland, and from Brazil to Greece, I translated everything into English (so that anyone can play) and you need to figure out what each one means (that part will be in English also). And as always, let’s have one guess each time so more people can play and enjoy the game. I'll be off for a week starting Monday but worry not. I left a cheat sheet with the rest of the team so guess away and they'll be able to tell you if you are right or wrong.  

Have fun! 😉

Nick 

1. 🇫🇷 Giving the cat its tongue
2. 🇫🇷 To sleep on one’s two ears = To be perfectly at peace and without a worry in the world ✅
3. 🇵🇹 I’m in the inks
4. 🇪🇸 Speaking of the king of Rome, by the door he appears = Talk of the devil and he’s sure to appear ✅
5. 🇰🇷 Rice cake in a picture
6. 🇧🇷 The snake is going to smoke
7. 🇮🇹 You have salami slice on your eyes =You can’t see clearly ✅
8. 🇳🇱 Speaking with a potato in your mouth = Talking very poshly ✅
9. 🇵🇱 Drill a hole in your belly
10. 🇵🇱 I was made into a horse
11. 🇬🇷 I’m in pieces = Can't think or stand straight from too much alcohol ✅
12. 🇬🇷 Running but never arriving = Being extremely busy ✅
13. 🇫🇷 Cut the hairs in four = To be excessively precise and detailed ✅
14. 🇫🇷 To push on the mushroom 
15. 🇵🇹 Bread, bread. Cheese, cheese
16. 🇰🇷 Glasses in my eyes = Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ✅
17. 🇧🇷 Pork spirit
18. 🇪🇸 Whoever gets up early, God helps him = The early bird catches the worm ✅
19. 🇮🇹 It always rains on the wet
20. 🇳🇱 That's not anything
21. 🇵🇱 Throwing peas onto a wall
22. 🇬🇷  I’m an open book = I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve, very easy to read ✅
23. 🇵🇱 A roll with a butter
24. 🇬🇷 I’m swatting flies
25. 🇫🇷 See noon at his door
26. 🇫🇷 When the hens have teeth
27. 🇵🇹 Take the little horse away from the rain = Don’t count on it! Don’t hold your breath! ✅
28. 🇪🇸 He who does not cry does not suck
29. 🇫🇷 The carrots are cooked
30. 🇰🇷 Don’t drink the Kimchi soup first
31. 🇧🇷 To pay for the duck
32. 🇮🇹 Eye can’t see, heart can’t pain = What you don't see/know can't hurt you ✅
33. 🇳🇱 Falling with your bum on butter = You're very lucky ✅
34. 🇵🇱 Do you have a snake in your pocket?
35. 🇬🇷 By the devil’s mother
36. 🇬🇷 It’s raining chairs (or chair legs)
37. 🇵🇹 Flea behind the ear
38. 🇪🇸 God raises them and they come together
39. 🇫🇷 To want the butter and the money from the butter's sale
40. 🇫🇷 Being a boot licker = Sucking up to people ✅
41. 🇰🇷 Spitting while lying down
42. 🇧🇷 The jaguar's friend
43. 🇮🇹 Who despises, buys
44. 🇳🇱 Letting the wind blow through your fences
45. 🇵🇱 The drawing man catches a cut throat razor
46. 🇬🇷 He does the duck
47. 🇬🇷 Sit on your eggs
48. 🇫🇷 Have fairy fingers
49. 🇵🇹 Burn the eyelashes
50. 🇪🇸 Less gives a stone
51. 🇰🇷 Bad mushrooms bloom in March.
52. 🇮🇹 Do not say cat if you do not have it in your bag = Don't brag prematurely ✅
53. 🇳🇱 Chasing the cat into the curtains
54. 🇵🇱 They have flies up their nose
55. 🇵🇱 Did an elephant stomp on your ear?
56. 🇬🇷 I came out of my clothes
57. 🇬🇷 Good wines
58. 🇫🇷 Three apples tall
59. 🇵🇹 Wake up with the feet outside
60. 🇧🇷 Thinking about the calf's death
61. 🇮🇹 Nail moves away nail
62. 🇵🇱 Stick you in a bottle
63. 🇬🇷 Slowly the cabbage
64. 🇪🇸 Flip the tortilla
65. 🇬🇷 Have your eyes fourteen

[Laura2484]

@Katie @Helen427 @Nick @Cathie19  

32.   🇮🇹 Eye can’t see, heart can’t pain

🤔probably  ‘If you can’t see it , it won’t hurt you.’

[Nick]

@Laura2484 great guess for 32, but not so much for number 10

[Laura2484]

@Katie @Nick 

Where’s everybody???

 @Helen427 @Ann72 @Cathie19 @Ria19 

11. 🇬🇷I’m in pieces

🧐 could it mean ...

i’m In a state of despair /confusion /can’t think straight because something terrible has happened?

[Katie]

Hey @Laura2484 

You're on it with these guesses! Not to worry, @Nick is coming with a round up of which ones you've all got shortly 👌

[Nick]

@Laura2484 you have the can't think straight part correct, but not because of something terrible that happened... 

[Yannis37]

@Laura2484 @Nick  Very close Laura - good guess! You can't think straight because you have drunk too much alcohol 

[Nick]

I have also written the meaning next to the ones you have guessed correctly @Laura2484 @Helen427 @Ann72 @Huma0 @Cathie19 @Debra300 @Katie @Sarah977 

[Yannis37]

@Nick @Katie 

I know it is not fair as im Greek but number 12 - Running but never arriving would mean that i have so many things to do that there is not enough time...

[Nick]

ahahaha that is so not fair @Yannis37 (just kidding of course, but there are so many more from other languages waiting to be solved 😉) 

also "can't think OR STAND straight due to being wasted" lol 

[Yannis37]

I know Nick - I think i also found a Korean one

[Nick]

😮@Yannis37 you really did! 

[Yannis37]

@Nick 16 - Glasses in my eyes would be beauty is in the eye of the beholder

[Laura2484]

@Nick @Katie 

14 correct and just 51 more to guess 😂

 Okay thinking caps on team 

@Ann72 @Yannis37 @Helen427 @Debra300 @Sarah977 @Cathie19 @Huma0 

[Laura2484]

@Nick @Katie 

2.🇫🇷 To sleep on one’s two ears

this is harder to imagine but I guess it means ' no matter which side you lay , you can sleep well?'

[Nick]

too literal @Laura2484 

no, that's not right 😅