Norwegian Norway

snillisme

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(n.) • (kind-ism / nice-ism) • Excessive, misplaced understanding, consideration or indulgence (especially practiced by authorities towards social clients). A misunderstood kindness that involves being overly understanding and accommodating, often for fear of making unpopular decisions or offending someone.

"Partilederen mener snillismen hos de andre partiene er skyld i tilstanden."

"The leader of the party believes that the nice-ism of the other parties are to blame for the situation."

Swedish Sweden

guleböj

Word USED On Occasion BY Some People

(n.) • (yellow bend) • A 'joke-Norwegian' (skämtnorska) word mimicking Norwegian language sounds that sounds silly or weird to Swedes.

“Men vad tusan, jag var säker på att banan faktiskt hette guleböj på norska.”

“My goodness, I was certain bananas were actually called yellow bends in Norwegian.“

Norwegian Norway

du store alpakka

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(you great alpaca) • Used jokingly to express either surprise, shock, horror, or fright.

"Du store alpakka! Har lyset gått?"

"You great alpaca! Did the lights go out?"

Norwegian Norway

heldiggris

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(n.) • (lucky pig) • A very lucky person.

"Fikk du ny PC til bursdagen din? Heldiggris!"

"Did you get a new computer for your birthday? You lucky pig !"

French French speaking countries

On ne trouve pas l'argent sous les sabots d'un cheval

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(Money can't be found under a horse's hoof) • Money doesn't grow on trees.

"Je ne peux pas t'acheter ce sac, il est beaucoup trop cher ! Tu penses qu'on trouve l'argent sous les sabots d'un cheval?"

"I can't buy you this bag, it's way too expensive! Do you think money can be found under a horse's hoof?"

Hungarian Hungary

él, mint Marci Hevesen

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(they live like Marci in Heves) • Used to describe someone who got lucky and is living his/her best life. Marci was a 19th century Hungarian outlaw who mostly operated in Heves county.

"Megszedte magát, vett egy nagy házat, s él, mint Marci Hevesen."

"He got rich, bought a big house and lives like Marci in Heves."

French French speaking countries

la semaine des quatre jeudis

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(the week of the four Thursdays) • Used to express that something will never happen. In the past, Thursday was a break day for pupils and teachers. So, having a week with four Thursdays would have been a wonderful dream, but it will never happen.

" - Quand vas-tu me présenter à tes parents? - La semaine des quatre jeudis."

" - When will you introduce me to your parents? - On the week of the four Thursdays."

Indonesian Indonesia

telur di ujung tanduk

Idiom USED On Occasion BY Some People

(an egg on the tip of a horn) • Whenever someone faces a very difficult situation, someone would occasionally say "you're an egg on the tip of a horn." Although this is not often used by Indonesians anymore, it is occasionally still said from time to time.

"Putra sering berjudi dengan orang lain di kosnya. Setelah dia telah menghabiskan semua uangnya, hidupnya bagaikan telur di ujung tanduk. Karena dia telah menghabiskan semua uangya dan tidak mampu untuk membayar kosnya."

"Putra often gambles with people in his apartment. After he spent all his money, his life was like an egg on the tip of the horn. It is because he spent all his money and he's unable to pay for his rent."

Dutch Netherlands

dweilen met de kraan open

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(mopping with the tap open) • To have no chance of success, because the symptoms are controlled without addressing the cause.

"Geld geven aan de banken omdat ze bijna failliet gaan blijft gewoon dweilen met de kraan open."

"Giving money to the banks because they are about to go bankrupt is just mopping with the tap open."

Dutch Netherlands

Heb ik iets van je aan?

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(Am I wearing your clothes?) • Said when someone is looking at you strangely.

"Waarom kijk je zo? Heb ik iets van je aan ofzo?"

"Why are you looking at me like that? Am I wearing your clothes or something?"

Dutch Netherlands

resten van een losbandig leven

Expression USED On Very Rare Occasion BY Some People

(remains of a dissolute life) • When you see trash leftover from a party, like empty bottles, cigarette buds, or anything else that is leftover as the result of a good time.

"Hoe komt de kat op een toren van lege wodka flessen?" "Dat zijn de resten van een losbandig leven."

"How did the cat get to a tower of empty vodka bottles?" "Those are the remains of a dissolute life."

Dutch Netherlands

ver-van-je-bed-show

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(n.) • (far-from-your-bed-show) • Something that is happening far away, outside of your world view or life experiences.

"Toen corona uitbrak in China was het een beetje een ver-van-je-bed-show, maar dat is nu wel anders."

"When Corona broke out in China it was a far-from-your-bed-show, but that's different now."

Dutch Netherlands

al sla je me dood

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(even if you beat me to death) • Used to say you really have no idea. It is like saying "even if you beat me to death, I wouldn't be able to give you an answer."

"Hoe heet het portret in olieverf op paneel geschilderd door Jan van Eyck in 1436?" "Al sla je me dood."

"What is the name of the portrait in oil on panel painted by Jan van Eyck in 1436?" "Even if you beat me to death."

French French speaking countries

en mettre sa main à couper

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(to put one's hand out to be cut) • Te be extremely sure of something. So sure that you would let your hand to be cut if you're wrong.

"Mon rouge à lèvre a encore disparu! J'en mets ma main à couper que c'est ma soeur qui l'a pris!'

"My lipstick disappeared again! I put my hand out to cut that my sister took it!"

French Belgium

tirer son plan

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(to pull out one's map) • To cope on one's own.

"Je vous accompagnerai à l'école et vous aiderai avec vos devoirs durant la première semaine. Après ça, vous tirez votre plan."

"I will accompany you to school and help you with your homework during the first week. After that, you'll have to cope on your own."

Afrikaans South Africa

Koebaai Meraai

Standard Phrase USED On Occasion BY Some People

(Goodbye Meraai) • Meraai is a name often associated with the Cape coloured community of South Africa. It is especially used in jokes and funny stories. Koebaai is an Afrikaansified term for the English goodbye. These two terms rhyme which gives this phrase a playful connotation.

“Koebaai Meraai.”

“Goodbye Meraai.”

Dutch | Flemish Flanders, Belgium

As ons kat een koei was, konnen we ze melken veu de stoof

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(If our cat was a cow, we could milk it in front of the hearth) • Used as a reply when someone says something hypothetical starting with "If". It expresses something like: "it's no use thinking that way, because things aren't that way."

"As we een kaart hadde meegenome zoude we nà zo nie zitte zuken." "Ja, en as ons kat een koei was, konnen we ze melken veu de stoof."

"If we had brought a map, we wouldn't be searching like this." "Yes, and if our cat was a cow, we could milk it in front of the hearth."

German Northern Germany , Germany

Tüddelkram

Word USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(n.) • Used to mean silly stuff.

"Mark hat wirklich sehr viel Tüddelkram in seiner Wohnung. Das meiste das er hat braucht man nicht."

"Mark has a lot of silly stuff in his flat. You don’t need most of the stuff he has."

German Germany

bis später Peter

Slang USED On Occasion BY Some People

(interj.) • (see you later Peter) • One equivalent of the English “See you later alligator” The person’s name doesn’t need to be Peter.

"Tschüß!" "Bis später Peter!"

"Good bye!" "See you later Peter!"

Hungarian Hungary

nem egy nagy vasziszdasz

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(it's not a big vasziszdasz) • Used when describing something not so special. The word "vasziszdasz "comes from the German "was ist das", meaning "what is that".

"Hát ez a könyv nem egy nagy vasziszdasz."

"Well, this book isn't a big vasziszdasz."