Game: Idioms from around the world

Nick
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Game: Idioms from around the world

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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
61 Replies 61
Laura2484
Level 10
Ohope, New Zealand

@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
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

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

Laura2484
Level 10
Ohope, New Zealand

@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
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

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
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

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

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

Nick
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

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

Yannis37
Level 9
Athens, Greece

@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
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

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 

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

Nick
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

😮@Yannis37 you really did! 

Yannis37
Level 9
Athens, Greece

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

Laura2484
Level 10
Ohope, New Zealand

@Nick @Katie 

14 correct and just 51 more to guess 😂

 

 Okay thinking caps on team 

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

Laura2484
Level 10
Ohope, New Zealand

@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
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

too literal @Laura2484 

 

no, that's not right 😅