Idioms

Language barriers are a funny thing. Consider the phrase “quit cold turkey.” You might casually use this idiom to tell a friend you’re done drinking coffee, and they’ll nod in understanding. But try explaining that to a non-English speaker, and they’re likely to wonder what deli meat has to do

with your caffeine habit. This is the nature of idioms: They’re dependent on cultural nuances and easily lost in translation. But English isn’t the only language with these seemingly nonsensical expressions. Let’s discover some funny foreign-language idioms from around the globe. Sliding around on a seafood sandwich paints a vivid...