What weird idioms/phrases does your language have?

hungryphrog@lemmy.blahaj.zone to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 241 points –

In Finnish we have "kissanristiäiset" (literally means a cat's christening), which means some trivial and meaningless celebration/event.

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Haven't seen some of these before. Ones I particularly like are:

  • Tirar o cavalo da chuva: take your horse away from the rain = give up on something
  • Lavar as mãos: wash (the) hands = do not involve yourself in something

Wash your hands of [something] is also in American English, although I think more typically used when you were already involved in something then removed yourself from the situation

Another Bible reference; this one refers to Roman governor Pontius Pilate washing his hands to indicate being done with the issue of Jesus's execution.