RedLlamaPoncho
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Credit to Paul Blow. Sauce: https://www.creativeboom.com/inspiration/11-bizarre-international-idioms-that-get-lost-in-translation-comically-drawn-by-paul-blow/
Sheepyhead
"To punch grass" - Mowing the lawn in Danish
stormtrooper412
in Serbia when something is expensive we say "it costs like St. Peter's scrambled eggs"
Visiblur
Danish: to have your hair in the mailbox. Means that you have fucked up and are now in problems
creepwood
Funny, we have the same but with the beard in the mailbox (Swedish)
Wowter99
Mustard after a meal is common in dutch as well.
CaptainMiffles
and hair on your teeth is not unheard of in english.
nokkonokko
The french.... oh the french... http://imgur.com/dOfoBsi
Alsbet
Russian idiom similar to the Polish one - "Spoons are good at meal time." The thing would have been useful but now it's too late!
mormacil
Dutch literally has "Mustard after a meal" with indeed meaning to late to be useful.
TeenageMightyMutantMorphingNinjaPowerTurtleRangers
Get a dog up ya! - Straya mate
Mgsblade
Middle east: God gives meat to those who have no teeth. means
TheSnidr
The raisin in the sausage is "a happy ending to something". The raisin at the end of a sausage was considered the best part of it!
kaihp
Same in Denmark
HighFunctioningSociopath221B
"People in hell want ice water" - said to someone who voices desires that won't be satisfied
torrias
Australia: "i didn't come here to fuck spiders." When someone asks why you're somewhere when the answer is obvious. Eg. If someone asks 1/2
torrias
2/2 if you're going for a swim if you're at the beach.
FourCatsAndSevenMemesAgo
More Japanese: "Eye boogers laughing at nose boogers" is similar to "pot calling the kettle black"
3141593653589793
Räkmacka
PyllyNalleMissionaries
I cant think of any finnish ones, as they are all logical. Ex: Sataa saavista kaatamalla, meaning it is raining like buckets being poured
ElbowDeepInATshirt
This first one isn't really "to have an easy LIFE".. it's more about being extraordinarily lucky in a specific situation without earning it.
YouWereAlmostAJillSandwich
Mad as a sack of badgers- fucking mental (Ireland).
Jessielo927
Mexican: camarón que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente Translation: "The shrimp that sleeps is swept away by the current" #staywoke
madoldbat
rare as hen's teeth is an English one as well
Albinivik
"To shit in the blue locker/cupboard" also swedish.
Albinivik
to do someting really and obviously stupid.
marshwiggleme
WHY ARE THERE NO AUSTRALIAN ONES.... "Flat out Like a lizard drinking" (To be really busy- can also be said sarcastically)
anoldiebutagoodie
"Tell him he's dreaming" Oz (The Castle) When someone is asking too high a price for something
twicetemper
Yeah, but what about jousting sticks?
Agent
Flat out like a lizard drinking - Australian: To be very busy
Blrp0
aalien
Finnish: "To snort a pea up one's nose" - To get upset over petty things.
intolerable
Mail gets delivered as Kusti pedals
likeaglove89
I'm not here to fuck spiders (Australia)
DoubleSunMoonMoon
Nobody says that
raidleadergutts
- Elon Musk
IamNotFunnyNeitherIsMyUserName
It’s not used a lot, but it is definitely used.
howdoyouturnthisonagain
I say that.
TurkeySlapa
Right up there with pissing in your pocket....
LoveMeDamnit
So, we’re not going to talk about Iceland then?
SitOnMyFaceSundays
I must conduct experiments with this raisin at the end of the metaphorical hotdog to see if it applies state side
Catclicksalot
Also people used to put a raisin in the end of a sausage so the meat inside wouldn't pour out.
Catclicksalot
It's not hotdog but sausage.. Still weird though
ChocolateDiet
The Norwegian one isn't really "to give up", more like swallowing your pride/picking your battles all in one. But with camels.
kaihp
Same concept in Danish: "At sluge kameler"
BumFacedGoat
I read it as ‘caramels’ and though: meh, that’s not so bad. It makes more sense now I’ve read your comment. Thanks.
ChocolateDiet
You're very welcome. Though, caramels would make more sense in terms of swallowing.. :)
ecchanQueen
There's a similar Swedish one. Discarding mosquitoes and swallowing camels. To worry about the small problems and ignoring the big ones.
doesntmatter
Vad är det på svenska?
ChocolateDiet
Ingen aning, faktisk.
MeatballManWithAddedSauce
sila mygg och svälja kameler
doesntmatter
Jag kan inte minnas att jag någonsin hört det. Vilket hörn av landet är ni som har från? (Småland här)
sueca
Det är ett bibelcitat, men är också vanligt uttryck. Jag är från Västerbotten
UsernamesAreStupidAnyways
Ifølge språkrådet.no kommer det norske "svelge kameler" fra det samme uttrykket, som er fra bibelen - når Jesus skjeller ut fariseerne.
UsernamesAreStupidAnyways
Eller så sa nettsiden deres i alle fall; http://www.sprakradet.no/svardatabase/sporsmal-og-svar/kamelsluking/
MeatballManWithAddedSauce
Haha, rimligt. Ordspråk som innefattar kameler och som finns i båda språken kan nog inte ha någon annan källa.
Fuzzpong
So we can all agree that the problem is camels
ecchanQueen
It does seem likely.
Waitthisparachuteisarucksack
Jeg har aldri hørt dette utrykket faktisk bli brukt
rabastan
Bruker det ofte.
ChocolateDiet
Merkelig. Hvor er du fra? Ble nevnt nedenfor her at det kanskje er mer en Oslo-ting?! Vet ikke hvor mye sannhet det er i det, men kanskje?
Waitthisparachuteisarucksack
Oslo men bor i Østfold
Matrican
Never heard it on the west coast of Norway. Is it perhaps more common east around Oslo? Or other places where the are more bokmål?
ChocolateDiet
Kanskje.. jeg er selv fra Oslo, så kan jo tenkes at det er tilfellet.
SalsaCat
All of them make a bit of sense... And then there's Japan.
morphis
tastes so good my cheeks are falling ball sacks
gamblingpoet
That makes sense to me. The food is delicious, so you keep eating, resulting in chewing a lot, cheeks falling off, etc
TooTallToucan
sounds to me like: food is so delicious that your mouth are stuffed and your cheeks expand enough to hang.
duncanhills666
tie a bear to a man doesn't make too much sense. That won't confuse you. merely terrify and likely kill u.
Mefi91
Tie a bear to a man rather means to tell a lie :) if the lie was good you also could had unknowingly tied a bear to a man :D
SirRaime
Some people just WANT Japan to be weird.
mizzchanandlerbong
To tie a bear onto someone rather means to tell a fib or a made up story than to confuse someone.
batmanbumantics
So if I said "Person X tied a bear onto someone ", that would mean Person X was talking shite?
deahdeah
basically, yes
Fzoid
Was about to write the same. Weirdly enough if you follow the link the same picture gives to fool someone as meaning which works much better
mizzchanandlerbong
A German person that is confused doesn't understand anything might however say 'I only understand train station'. Weird expression..
Ireallycantthinkofanythingbetterrightnow
thats from the first world war. Trains transported the troops, so this phrase was from war tired soldiers, who only wanted to go home
TheRealAngelS
Some even say "I only understand train station and stealing luggage." We're just weird. :D
mizzchanandlerbong
Really? Never heard that one. How funny! Is it a regional thing?
TheRealAngelS
Don't think so. I'm from the Rhineland, but some friends from near Hamburg say it just the same.
mizzchanandlerbong
I've been living in Hessen for the longest time now and have never heard it '^^ Gonna remember it though!
mizzchanandlerbong
Heißt es dann 'Ich versteh nur Bahnhof und gestohlenes Gepäck'?
LadyYmir
So why do we say that one, again?
mizzchanandlerbong
Ooh, I'd love to know that too!
Superclown89
It's because german soldiers were so tired at the end of WW1 that they just wanted to go home, which normally happened by trains. 1/2
Superclown89
Trains are associated with Train stations (Bahnhof) and because of the urge to go home, they always understood Bahnhof in a conversation
EmanNiemThcin
https://de.wiktionary.org/wiki/nur_Bahnhof_verstehen k.A. obs stimmt.
LadyYmir
Oh, das is bitter...
mizzchanandlerbong
Achjaa.. Spannend! Und ganz schön traurig.
Buran
like pulling a leg?
mizzchanandlerbong
Yep, that's the English idiom that evaded me and lay right there on the tip of my tongue. Thanks!
Buran
Nice, we've sorted this out for the both of us :)
mizzchanandlerbong
Awesome :)
TwoDogsFucking
How could you forget "My hovercraft is full of eels."
Melonfish
Mein luftkissenfahrzeug ist voller aale!
xbolt
My lower intestine is full of spam, eggs, spam, spam, sperm...
ignimbrite
My nipples burst with delight!
gsmdo
*explode
realGeorgelucas
Drop your panties Sir William, I cannot wait 'til lunchtime
Otackle72
I will not buy this record, it is scratched
Wesugi
*I will not buy this tobacconists, it is scratched
TexasBaconMan
Bouncy, bouncy
BiteTheHandsThatThieve
This is sausage to me.
ScottishPower
HeartsAndStars
I'm sorry, Mrs. Jackson!
DeadHamster
Oooh
ZerixTheArcticFox
I am four eels and not a guy
ICanHasJava
Several fish*
SometimesILikeToLieOnTheGroundLikeACarrot
I am four eeeeeeeels
whatupmyknitters
never meant to make your daughter cry, i am four eels and not a guy
DeadHamster
*several fish
JalapenoSounding
TherealNotSid
I understand the reference but what is it originally from
HeartsAndStars
Outkast, Ms. Jackson. "I'm sorry Ms. Jackson (oh), I am for real." (4 eels)
HeartsAndStars
https://youtu.be/MYxAiK6VnXw