A world of idioms!

[Quincy]

Hello everyone,

I hope you are well.

Today I thought we could discuss idioms, as I am sure that many of you use them on a daily basis, I've definitely spotted a few here in the CC!

In our office, I am lucky to work with colleagues who speak different languages and it makes it very interesting to exchange idioms with each other.

Below are the different idiomatic ways of describing 'heavy rain' in a few languages :-).

English: It's raining cats and dogs
German: Es regnet in Strömen (It's raining in currents)
Spanish: Llueve a cántaros (It's raining in jugfuls) 
Italian: Piove a catinelle (It's raining like from basins)
Dutch: Het regent pijpestelen (It's raining pipe stems)
French: Il pleut comme une vache qui pisse (It's raining like a cow that's weeing) 
Greek: Brékhei kareklopódara (It's raining chair legs)
Polish: Jak z cebra (It's raining like from a wooden bucket)
Portuguese: Está chovendo a cântaros (It's raining jugs)

I think it's really interesting how often we use idioms when talking to each other. If you know some idioms (in any language), it would be great if you could share them here as it'd be fun to learn some new ones!

I look forward to seeing your answers!

Quincy

[Quincy]

Hey @Emiel1,

I think my Friesian friend mentioned this a little while ago! 

How was it? 

[Fred13]

"Nothing has to be, when you really think about it"

[Quincy]

@Fred13,

What about this one? 

"It is always darkest before the dawn" - Things are going to get better. 

Do you know any idioms that are used a lot in Belize? 

[Fred13]

In Belize?

"Why do today what you can leave for tomorrow'.

[Quincy]

@Fred13,

"A penny for your thoughts" 

[Rene-and-Zac0]

’Don’t pee on my foot and then tell me it’s raining outside’

’You know it’s hard out here for a Host’

[Quincy]

@Rene-and-Zac0,

"Every dog has his day". 

[You-House0]

Some of these are so funny!

I've tried to remove all the idioms from my listings/descriptions/directions. I'm worried about that Google Translate button! I have so many non-English speakers that I try to make the sentences as short and to the point as possible in hope that they then translate well! haha

[Quincy]

Hello @You-House0,

Nice to meet you!

Google Translate and idioms don't go so well together indeed :-). 

What kind of idioms did you use in your listing? 

[Kimberly54]

Hi @You-House0... my humble opinion?  Google Translate can help a LITTLE, in only the most simple situations, and can really mess things up a lot of the time.  If everyone has a sense of humor and recognizes that a translation program is in use, a smile and a laugh will go a long way.

Japanese is the only Asian language I'm fluent in, and when I first heard about translation programs (which, to their credit HAVE gotten better over the years), I thought, "NO WAY could this work!"  Between American English and standard Japanese, there are words--and even concepts--that are absolutely foreign to each other.  There simply is NO TRANSLATION. 

Idioms can just get tricky.  Funny, though, how many are very similar! :-))

Best,

[Quincy]

@Kimberly54,

I've had a good laugh checking some idioms with Google Translate! 

I didn't know you could also speak Japanese—very cool! 

Have you heard of this one? 

Japanese: "猿も木から落ちる" (Saru mo ki kara ochiru) - Even monkeys fall from trees  (even experts get it wrong).

[Kimberly54]

@Quincy, the Japanese have some wicked idioms.

This is funny... These folks have a pretty nasty 'caste' system.  Maybe even worse than the British.

So someone uses this expression, "Emo kusai" (literally, potato stink), referring to farmers.

While this may be a real slang term for a 'lower class' farmer-type, TRULY, the Japanese people lack the enzyme to digest potatoes, so eating the little tubers gives them intestinal gas--they fart!

This is a lot like Mexican/hispanics have the enzymes to digest beans, while most caucasions don't;  Mexicans don't fart, but the whities do!  (Remember that scene from the movie, "Blazing Saddels")  Too funny.

This whole thread is just cracking me up.  I have a ton more, but not enough time.

Best!

[Kimberly54]

@Quincy, omigosh, can you see how polluted our language is with idioms?

"Cracking me up!"  (making me laugh)

It's EVERYWHERE!

A wonder that we can communicate at all!

BTW, I don't speak English, I speak American, so I've 'got my eye on you!'

There's another one!  And what a terrible visual!  YUCK!  My eye on you????  EEEW! 

[J-Renato0]

Idioms that CAN NOT be literally translated to my native language
"Come hell or high water"!
The equivalent is portugues is ->"Nem que chova canivete"!  It can not be translated literally, but it means that "Even if it is raining penknives" one is determined to something"
"It is all gone to the dogs!"
In Porguese = A vaca foi para o brejo! -> The literal translation would be "The cow went to the marshland" and it maynot make sense in english.
"He is now a guest of the Queen!" 🙂
In Portugues - "Ele esta vendo o sol nascer quadrado!" -> Meaning -> He is in prison! The literal translation is - He is now seeing the sun appearing in the morning (at dawn) as square - through the window of the jail, through the grids.

Idioms that can be literally translated:
1- I am all ears! -> In Portuguese -> Sou todo ouvidos!
2- "You can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs" -> Você não pode fazer um omelete sem quebrar ovos!

[Kimberly54]

@J-Renato0, and all,  this is just too funny a subject. 

How about, 'You've got your head in the sand!' Meaning, you are ignorant/uninformed/don't want to know what's going on.

Thank you, @Quincy for starting this!

Best,