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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Some in Swedish but I'll write down the literal translations first. Some I can't even begin to explain... kind of just have to be Swedish to get them

To cook soup on a nail. (Something impossible and ridiculous, can be used both seriously and ironically)

Clean as a watch (a smart solution, or good response to a problem can be, "clean as a watch". The expression is never used to actually describe something that's literally clean)

A bear favor (doing someone a favor that will do more harm than good, i.e. doing someone's homework for them)

In the time of the Duke. (When something was just in time)

Ice in the stomach (to keep your cool and be patient)

Fire for the crows (Being wasteful with fuel, you're basically just keeping your roof warm and cozy on the outside for the birds)

Acting like a larvae (being ridiculous and/or childish, not taking something seriously when you should)

And if you got this far down, I've got Spanish speaking extended family who sometimes call me what I've been told, literally means "lightbulb thief" (cause I'm tall I guess) but I forgot the Spanish word. Maybe someome can help me out with that.

We have "to cook soup on a nail" in Norwegian as well but our meaning is different. In Norway it means to make something out of nearly nothing.

It has the same meaning here. I guess it depends on how you say it. And maybe my explanation wasn't the best either. But by making something out of nothing. You've done what could be considered impossible.

I think most of our idioms are interchangeable due to how close our cultures are. How do you say it in Norwegian? Spisa soppa på spik?