Polish idiom also have word-to-word translation to Russian, and that's question gets asked when someone says something crazy (like if one got concussion falling of the tree).
The translation of the Russian one (and the picture) is incorrect. It should be "You can sharpen a wooden stake [with an axe] on top of this head", used to describe an extremely stubborn person.
Normally, when you sharpen a stake using an axe, you push the end being sharpened against some stable surface, a hack log or something. Here, you push it against one's head. And the idea is that they do not pay attention / do not notice the fact. An exaggeration, of course.
It means there is hidden intentions behind someone's actions. For example, they are all nice to you all day, then at the end of the day they ask you a favor.
Oooh, in French there's "Il y a anguille sous roche", literally "There's an eel under a rock". Pretty much the same meaning, although it could also be something hidden in a situation, not necessarily a person's actions specifically. I guess the English analogue would be "Something's fishy"
"Something's fishy" fits the eel under a rock, but I can't even think of an English idiom for the shrimp behind a rock. There's a straightforward TERM for it, though: an ulterior motive.
There's one my family uses, and I don't think anyone outside of Beijing really uses this. It's "็ธๅผนๆๅฐ็ฒชๅ้” which literally means "A bomb drops into a manure pit".
I don't know how to say it in English, but here I go. It's essentially means: "The action your going to do/has done will/has caused a massive explosion of bad things to happen. Basically your starting a shitstorm of bad things by doing one thing. Hence throwing a grenade into a manure pit." I have plenty more if you would like to know some more.
Another one is "็งๅญๅคดไธ็่ฑๅญ" or "The lice on top of a bald man's head". Aka, "Isn't it obvious?" And a really famous one, "ๅก็ฟๅคฑ้ฉฌ，็็ฅ้็ฆ” or "Old man loses his horse, but it turns out for the best" aka "Blessing in disguise"
Sundanese has "siga monyรฉt ngagugulung kalapa" literally "like a monkey rolling around a coconut", meaning: doing something, but you have no idea how to do it, or what it is.
A similar idiom is in Russian -- "ะผะฐััััะบะธะฝ ัััะด" (monkey’s work). It’s from a fable by Krylov about a monkey who saw a peasant being praised for his hard work and decided to carry around a heavy log to get some praise too.
Here's one from American English (don't know if it's used in other English-speaking countries): "Riding shotgun", meaning riding in the front passenger seat of a car. I had to give my friend from the Philippines a lengthy explanation about Westerns, stagecoaches, and bandits to explain the origin of that one.
The Portuguese idiom should be "como gato" or like a cat. It means if you don't have a dog, you need hidden hunt sneaking in silence, like a cat.
The shrimp sandwich thing means that someone gets something by luck, rich parents, or similar.
"The hen sees the snake’s feet and the snake sees the hen’s boobs” The meaning of this Thai idiom is to express that two people know each other’s secrets. This applies in successful communication too. You need to know ‘one’s secret’ cultural background, etc, to be able to communicate successfuly.
It should be, but it doesn't mean it is. You might come across people who are aware that the expression is actually "Como Gato", but "Com gato" is way more frequent.
The Portuguese idiom means that when you don't have something to do what you need to do like a dog to lead you when you're going to hunt,you can use something else,like a cat.It's not what you wanted,but it's useful,anyway.
I remember the Japanese one to mean not being fully honest about something because of my previous (and still somewhat present) affinity with Vocaloid music (Toeto). Chinese has many, many idioms I like, called ๆ่ช (cheng yu). My favorite is ็ฌจ้ณฅๅ ้ฃ(Ben niao xian fei), stupid birds shall fly first. It means that those who are inexperienced should get a head start. Chengyu are very interesting and also show that you are knowledgeable language-wise. I suggest you look them up!
It's not in the same league, but these remind me of the look on people's faces as they try to figure out the rationale behind 'to have your cake and eat it'. What else would you do with cake?
Surfing in on a shrimp sandwich is way cooler than being 'born with a silver spoon in your mouth'.
I thought that the point was that such people wanted to eat their cake but still have the cake afterwards ... which is not possible! Once you've eaten it, it's gone and you don't have it any more. So you can't have your cake (all the time) and yet it eat too (while continuing to have the cake).
Russia is here! Not to sharpen the axe but to sharpen wooden blocks (they are used in a palisade building) on the head of somebody. It means the person is so dumb that his head is flat enough to do this kind of job
Pienenee kuin pyy maailmanlopun edellรค - turning smaller like the hazel hen before the end of the world. (Apparently, according to some old mythology, the hazel hens used to be a lot bigger and are even now getting smaller. The end of the world is near by when it's so small that it can go through a ring. So we have still time.....)
Sataa kuin Esterin perseestรค - raining as if from Esteri's ass. (Don't ask, I don't know. Rains a lot, anyway.)
Niin metsรค vastaa kuin sinne huutaa - the forest answers the way you shout into it. (Not that weird, just possibly my favorite saying.)
In Greek there is one ฮฮฑ ฯฮฑฯ ฮพฯ ฮปฮฟ which literally translates to "you will eat wood" but it means "I'm going to hit you" and is usually used in a more endearing way, like when someone does something stupid, or forgetful.
An italian idiom I like to say is "in bocca al lupo", literally "in the mouth of the wolf". It is the equivalent of "break a leg" in american english. The best part, you're supposed to reply "crepi!" as in, "may the wolf die!"
The Swedish expression means that everyting goes smothly. A "rรคkmacka" in an open sandwich with a heap of shrimps,a slice of lemmon and a twig of dill on mayo and is considered to be a delicacy in Sweden.
This is one of my favourite sayings because I just love the image. I learnt this in Swedish class; I thought it described a person who had it easy in life, like the English sayings, "born with a silver spoon in their mouth" or to "have things handed to you on a plate". The Swedish expression is more fun though! I often think of it when I see certain politicians...
The Kazakh one "I see the sun on your back" has a following meaning: Thanks to you I'm still alive, Thanks to I live another day, Thanks to you I'm alive and kicking.
I actually just stole it from another website which had a list of untranslatable idioms. I'm afraid I know nothing about the Kazak language, sadly! However, I encourage you to submit a comic via the Suggestion Box (below) and if the idea is good I'm happy to make a comic about it!
Actually, "ะฐัาะฐััะฝะดะฐ" (arkasynda) is a postposition, meaning "thanks to" (in russian: "ะฑะปะฐะณะพะดะฐัั" - ะฑะปะฐะณะพ+ะดะฐัั ~ giving a bless/blessing) ๐ But it's OK)
Amazing! I read this comic, and a day or so later I read the exact Portuguese line in a Jose Saramago book. It was like a serious case of deja vu. Only on this revisit do I realize why (and where I saw it first). :D
Thanks for helping me understand it in context. :)
It's quite unsatisfying to read those unexplained.
ReplyDeleteMaybe some of our readers who speak these languages can enlighten us!
DeletePolish idiom also have word-to-word translation to Russian, and that's question gets asked when someone says something crazy (like if one got concussion falling of the tree).
DeleteThe translation of the Russian one (and the picture) is incorrect. It should be "You can sharpen a wooden stake [with an axe] on top of this head", used to describe an extremely stubborn person.
ReplyDeleteYes. The "axe" would be "ัะพะฟะพั".
DeleteInteresting. How would you sharpen wood with an axe on top of a head?
DeleteNormally, when you sharpen a stake using an axe, you push the end being sharpened against some stable surface, a hack log or something. Here, you push it against one's head. And the idea is that they do not pay attention / do not notice the fact. An exaggeration, of course.
DeleteMay I add one from Indonesia "Ada udang di balik batu" literally "There's a shrimp behind a rock"
ReplyDeleteHah! And what does that mean?
DeleteIt means there is hidden intentions behind someone's actions. For example, they are all nice to you all day, then at the end of the day they ask you a favor.
DeleteOooh, in French there's "Il y a anguille sous roche", literally "There's an eel under a rock". Pretty much the same meaning, although it could also be something hidden in a situation, not necessarily a person's actions specifically.
DeleteI guess the English analogue would be "Something's fishy"
"Something's fishy" fits the eel under a rock, but I can't even think of an English idiom for the shrimp behind a rock. There's a straightforward TERM for it, though: an ulterior motive.
DeleteThere's one my family uses, and I don't think anyone outside of Beijing really uses this. It's "็ธๅผนๆๅฐ็ฒชๅ้” which literally means "A bomb drops into a manure pit".
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! What does it mean?
DeleteI don't know how to say it in English, but here I go. It's essentially means: "The action your going to do/has done will/has caused a massive explosion of bad things to happen. Basically your starting a shitstorm of bad things by doing one thing. Hence throwing a grenade into a manure pit." I have plenty more if you would like to know some more.
DeleteAnother one is "็งๅญๅคดไธ็่ฑๅญ" or "The lice on top of a bald man's head". Aka, "Isn't it obvious?"
DeleteAnd a really famous one, "ๅก็ฟๅคฑ้ฉฌ，็็ฅ้็ฆ” or "Old man loses his horse, but it turns out for the best" aka "Blessing in disguise"
And my absolute Favourite, I use this a lot since I live in Asia, "ไบบๅฑฑไบบๆตท” or "People mountain people sea", aka "Crowded as all living hell"
DeleteThe first one sounds like the equivalent to "the shit's going to hit the fan".
DeleteThe story of "ๅก็ฟๅคฑ้ฉฌ，็็ฅ้็ฆ” is really plot twists after plot twists. xD
And yeah, "ไบบๅฑฑไบบๆตท” (People mountain people sea) is extremely common, both as a phrase and as a phenomenon ;)
Isn't this equivalent to "shit hits the fan"?
DeleteKind of, but it's a slightly differnt connotation then "shit hits the fan"
DeleteSundanese has "siga monyรฉt ngagugulung kalapa" literally "like a monkey rolling around a coconut", meaning: doing something, but you have no idea how to do it, or what it is.
ReplyDeleteAmazing. Looks like I'll have to do part 2...
DeleteA similar idiom is in Russian -- "ะผะฐััััะบะธะฝ ัััะด" (monkey’s work). It’s from a fable by Krylov about a monkey who saw a peasant being praised for his hard work and decided to carry around a heavy log to get some praise too.
DeleteI agree, it would make it complete if you posted the meanings for each of them!
ReplyDeleteHere's one from American English (don't know if it's used in other English-speaking countries): "Riding shotgun", meaning riding in the front passenger seat of a car. I had to give my friend from the Philippines a lengthy explanation about Westerns, stagecoaches, and bandits to explain the origin of that one.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great one.
DeleteThe Portuguese idiom should be "como gato" or like a cat. It means if you don't have a dog, you need hidden hunt sneaking in silence, like a cat.
ReplyDeleteThe shrimp sandwich thing means that someone gets something by luck, rich parents, or similar.
"The hen sees the snake’s feet and the snake sees the hen’s boobs” The meaning of this Thai idiom is to express that two people know each other’s secrets. This applies in successful communication too. You need to know ‘one’s secret’ cultural background, etc, to be able to communicate successfuly.
It should be, but it doesn't mean it is. You might come across people who are aware that the expression is actually "Como Gato", but "Com gato" is way more frequent.
DeleteI originally had it as "like a cat" but I was corrected by a Portuguese person! So which is it??
DeleteThe Portuguese idiom means that when you don't have something to do what you need to do like a dog to lead you when you're going to hunt,you can use something else,like a cat.It's not what you wanted,but it's useful,anyway.
DeleteI remember the Japanese one to mean not being fully honest about something because of my previous (and still somewhat present) affinity with Vocaloid music (Toeto). Chinese has many, many idioms I like, called ๆ่ช (cheng yu). My favorite is ็ฌจ้ณฅๅ ้ฃ(Ben niao xian fei), stupid birds shall fly first. It means that those who are inexperienced should get a head start. Chengyu are very interesting and also show that you are knowledgeable language-wise. I suggest you look them up!
DeleteIt's not in the same league, but these remind me of the look on people's faces as they try to figure out the rationale behind 'to have your cake and eat it'. What else would you do with cake?
ReplyDeleteSurfing in on a shrimp sandwich is way cooler than being 'born with a silver spoon in your mouth'.
I thought that the point was that such people wanted to eat their cake but still have the cake afterwards ... which is not possible! Once you've eaten it, it's gone and you don't have it any more. So you can't have your cake (all the time) and yet it eat too (while continuing to have the cake).
DeleteYes that's it, but it's worded in such an old fashioned way that lots of people struggle to explain it, despite knowing what it means.
DeleteIt should be "eat your cake and have it too." That would make sense.
DeleteKind of like the expression "head over heels." Well, yeah...your head is always over your heels. Shouldn't it be "heels over head"?
This is why I prefer "ass over teakettle."
DeleteRussia is here!
ReplyDeleteNot to sharpen the axe but to sharpen wooden blocks (they are used in a palisade building) on the head of somebody. It means the person is so dumb that his head is flat enough to do this kind of job
Need...elaboration...
ReplyDeleteLet me throw a few Finnish ones here...
ReplyDeletePienenee kuin pyy maailmanlopun edellรค - turning smaller like the hazel hen before the end of the world. (Apparently, according to some old mythology, the hazel hens used to be a lot bigger and are even now getting smaller. The end of the world is near by when it's so small that it can go through a ring. So we have still time.....)
Sataa kuin Esterin perseestรค - raining as if from Esteri's ass. (Don't ask, I don't know. Rains a lot, anyway.)
Niin metsรค vastaa kuin sinne huutaa - the forest answers the way you shout into it. (Not that weird, just possibly my favorite saying.)
In Greek there is one ฮฮฑ ฯฮฑฯ ฮพฯ ฮปฮฟ which literally translates to "you will eat wood" but it means "I'm going to hit you" and is usually used in a more endearing way, like when someone does something stupid, or forgetful.
ReplyDeleteYes, translation from Russian is incorrect, both previous commentators are right
ReplyDeleteAn italian idiom I like to say is "in bocca al lupo", literally "in the mouth of the wolf". It is the equivalent of "break a leg" in american english. The best part, you're supposed to reply "crepi!" as in, "may the wolf die!"
ReplyDeleteThe Japanese expression means you are lying/denying like mainstream media about thing the established powers hold fore.
ReplyDeleteThe Swedish expression means that everyting goes smothly. A "rรคkmacka" in an open sandwich with a heap of shrimps,a slice of lemmon and a twig of dill on mayo and is considered to be a delicacy in Sweden.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favourite sayings because I just love the image. I learnt this in Swedish class; I thought it described a person who had it easy in life, like the English sayings, "born with a silver spoon in their mouth" or to "have things handed to you on a plate". The Swedish expression is more fun though! I often think of it when I see certain politicians...
DeleteThat Thai idiom means " Both side know each other's secret ".
ReplyDeleteThe Kazakh one "I see the sun on your back" has a following meaning: Thanks to you I'm still alive, Thanks to I live another day, Thanks to you I'm alive and kicking.
ReplyDeleteThe Latvian ideom means to lie or to talk nonsense
ReplyDeleteWe have that last one in Norwegian, too! "Som du roper i skogen fรฅr du svar" - "As you shout into the forest, so shall you be answered".
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised and happy to see a Kazak phrase here! Could I ask where have you heard it?) And can you draw a new comic about Kazak language?) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI actually just stole it from another website which had a list of untranslatable idioms. I'm afraid I know nothing about the Kazak language, sadly! However, I encourage you to submit a comic via the Suggestion Box (below) and if the idea is good I'm happy to make a comic about it!
DeleteActually, "ะฐัาะฐััะฝะดะฐ" (arkasynda) is a postposition, meaning "thanks to" (in russian: "ะฑะปะฐะณะพะดะฐัั" - ะฑะปะฐะณะพ+ะดะฐัั ~ giving a bless/blessing) ๐ But it's OK)
DeleteAmazing! I read this comic, and a day or so later I read the exact Portuguese line in a Jose Saramago book. It was like a serious case of deja vu. Only on this revisit do I realize why (and where I saw it first). :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for helping me understand it in context. :)