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