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 picture in English, but this idiom is part of everyday Swedish conversation. The saying “Aatt glida på en räkmacka” loosely means “to have things happen easily.” It’s similar to the English expression “to be handed something on a silver platter.” The Swedish expression makes more sense when put into context: A räkmacka is a prawn sandwich, an easily obtained staple of Swedish cafes. The idiom is so popular that it retains its meaning when shortened, as in, “It was no prawn sandwich,” implying it wasn’t easy.
Goats are known for being playful and unpredictable, and in Spanish culture, that sentiment is kicked up a notch. Goats are deemed silly and wild, so if you’re como una cabra — “like a goat” — you must be doing something a little bonkers. Suppose Madrid just scored the winning goal, and your friend climbs onto a table to dance. You might say, “¡Estás como una cabra!” which would be similar to saying, “You’re nuts!” This expression affectionately highlights eccentricity without harshness, celebrating the joy of being a little outlandish.
“Avere le fette di salame sugli occhi” is a quintessentially Italian way of suggesting someone is oblivious to something. This cheeky expression can also be used if someone is absent-minded or can’t see the truth before them, as if the metaphorical salami has been pulled over their eyes. There are other variations of this saying, such as “Avere gli occhi foderati di prosciutto,” which has the same connotations but playfully claims someone’s eyes are “wrapped in ham.”
This idiom is also a Japanese proverb: “Uma no mimi ni nenbutsu” (“馬の耳に念仏”). It translates to “saying Buddhist prayers into the ears of a horse.” Obviously, a horse can’t understand Buddhist prayers, let alone meaningful human language or spiritual concepts, so this saying captures the frustration and futility of talking to someone who isn’t receptive, reminding us that communication is a two-way street. It’s comparable to the English idiom “talking to a brick wall.”
What sounds like a neat party trick is actually a Russian idiom to describe the art of skillfully deceiving someone: “Vveshat’ lapshu na ushi” (“вешать лапшу на уши”). The quirky imagery conveys the idea of gullibility and the cleverness involved in tricking another person. The origins of the idiom are debated, but one enduring theory developed from an older saying that used the Russian verb oblaposhit (облапошить), meaning “to cheat,” which sounds similar to the word лапша (“noodles”). Still, it might have evolved arbitrarily from the idea of someone hanging noodles as if to distract or confuse another person.
The French have a unique way of calling out busy work or pointless tasks: The phrase “peigner la girafe” (“to comb the giraffe”) means “to do something useless.” For instance, if your manager tasks you with arranging and rearranging inconsequential files all day, you’re combing the giraffe. The origin of this idiom highlights the absurdity and futility of performing an impractical task. Not only are giraffes too tall to comb easily, but they also have a unique coat that doesn’t require much grooming, yielding little to no results.
If you’re conversing with a German speaker and they tell you, “Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof,” you’ve lost them. This idiom translates to “I only understand the train station” and is a classic expression of confusion in German. It’s similar to the English idiom “It’s all Greek to me.” The origin of this phrase isn’t certain, but anecdotal evidence points to World War I, when homesick soldiers often discussed the end of the war and the trains that would take them home.
