Expression USED Frequently BY Some People
(Were you born in church?) • An expression frequently used when someone doesn't close the door. This is due to churches having no closed doors because churches should always be accessible to believers.
"Ben je in de kerk geboren? Doe alsjeblieft de deur dicht."
"Were you born in church? Please close the door."
Interjection USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People
(n.) • (crash bang wallop ) • A mess or some undefined collection of stuff.
"Ich habe heute mein Auto aufgeräumt und den ganzen Kladderadatsch, der da drin war endlich mal weggeschmissen."
"I tidied up my car today and finally threw away all the Kladderadatsch that was in there."
French
French speaking countries
Name USED On Occasion BY Some People
Used to describe adults in their late twenties still living at their parents'. It comes from the movie "Tanguy" by Étienne Chatiliez.
"Mon fils est un Tanguy: il a 35 ans ans, est célibataire et vit toujours chez moi. Je ne sais pas quoi faire pour qu'il parte vivre de lui-même!"
"My son is a Tanguy: he is 35, single and still lives at my house. I don't know what to do to make him go and live on his own!"
Name USED On Occasion BY Some People
(John with the short last name) • "John with the short last name" is a less explicit way of saying "Jan Lul" (John Dick), and if you do something for him it means you are doing something that is pointless or with no result.
"Ik heb er drie uur staan wachten, maar bleek dat ik er stond voor Jan met de korte achternaam."
"I waited there for three hours, but it turned out that I was there for Jan with the short last name."
Submitted August 2020 by amarens
Name USED On Occasion BY Some People
(little Pete Precise) • Used for people who are very precise and detailed in what they do.
"Laat je vader even naar je essay kijken, hij is Pietje Precies."
"Let your father take a look at your essay, he is little Pete Precise."
het beestje bij de naam noemen
Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People
(to call the little beast by the name) • To say clearly and precisely how you think about someone or something. To say exactly how something is. Usually when people try to talk around a certain subject or are trying to avoid phrasing it in a direct way.
"Het is jammer dat etnoculturele factoren nog steeds invloed kunnen hebben op iemands kansen in de woningmarkt" "Je kan het beestje ook bij de naam noemen - mensen hebben een lagere kans op een woning door racisme."
"It is unfortunate that ethnocultural factors can still influence someone's chances in the housing market" "You can also call the bug by its name - people have a lower chance of getting housing because of racism."
Submitted August 2020 by amarens
French
North of France,
France
Standard Phrase USED On Occasion BY Some People
(it's pouring) • Used when it rains heavily.
"Il vaut mieux rester à l'intérieur vu qu'il drache dehors."
"It's better to stay inside since it's pouring outside."
Standard Phrase USED On Occasion BY Some People
(rains like from Esther’s ass) • When it is raining a lot. Nobody knows who Esther is.
"Jätin sateenvarjon kotiin ja matkalla junalle alkoi sataa kuin Esterin perseestä."
"I left the umbrella home and on the way to the train it started to rain like from Esther’s ass"
Submitted August 2020 by systomykoosi
Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People
(monkey sandwich ) • Something that’s nonsense or made up. Fake news.
“Achteraf bleek dat het allemaal broodje aap was.”
“In the end it turned it it was all monkey sandwich.”
se a vida fosse fácil, se chamaria miojo
Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People
(If life were easy, it would be called instant noodles) • This expression is used to reinforce that life is hard.
"Está sendo bem difícil sobreviver a 2020. Pois é, se a vida fosse fácil se chamaria miojo!"
"It is being very difficult to survive 2020. Well, if life was easy it would be called instant noodles!"
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People
(small beer) • Something relatively unimportant
"Het verliezen van je baan aan Corona is klein bier vergeleken met het verliezen van een familielid aan Corona."
"Losing your job to Corona is small beer in comparison to losing a family member to Corona."
Dutch
| Flemish
Flanders,
Belgium
Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People
(the ass of pluto) • The middle of nowhere
"We waren echt in het hol van pluto, er was geen enkel huis te bespeuren!"
"We were really in the ass of pluto, there were no houses to be seen!"
Dutch
| Flemish
Flanders,
Belgium
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People
(life is not a pony camp) • Life is not always easy.
"Ik ben gebuisd voor mijn examen. Helaas, maar het leven is geen ponykamp."
"I failed my exam. It sucks, but life's not a pony camp."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People
(tiger city) • A nickname for the city of Oslo. In his poem 'Sidste sang' (Last Song), poet Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson wrote about a fight between a horse and a tiger, where the horse represented the countryside, and the tiger represented Oslo. It was meant as a condescending metaphor for the city being dangerous, depleting, and hostile place, but today the name is often used positively.
"Ser ut som om det blir fint vær i Tigerstaden i dag."
"Looks like the weather will be nice in the capital today."
Interjection USED On Occasion BY Some People
Exclamation expressing dismay or surprise.
"Jøss! Er det virkelig deg?"
'Wow! Is it really you?'
German
German speaking countries
nicht alle Tassen im Schrank haben
Idiom USED On Occasion BY Some People
(to not have all the cups in the cupboard) • To be crazy.
"Du willst trotz des Sturms schwimmen gehen? Du hast doch nicht alle Tassen im Schrank!"
"You want to go swimming despite the storm? You must not have all the cups in the cupboard!"
German
German speaking countries
Idiom USED On Very Rare Occasion BY Some People
("Holla, the forest fairy!") • Can be used to express a state of surprise or shock. However, it is very rarely used in a serious way because of its rather funny wording.
"Dein neues Auto sieht ja richtig schick aus! Aber der Preis... Holla, die Waldfee!"
"Your new car looks really nice! But the price... Holla, the forest fairy!"
German
| Plattdeutsch
Northern Germany,
Germany
Word USED On Very Rare Occasion BY Some People
(n.) • (field chatter) • It’s a funny and endearing way to say mobile phone. However most people would simply use the German word for mobile phone (handy) instead. “Field chatter” also suggests the farmerly my background, that most people who speak Plattdeutsch have.
"Hast du din Ackerschnacker dabi? Ick mutt mol ken anropen."
"Do you have your mobile phone with you? I need to call someone."
Serbian
Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro
Expression USED Frequently BY Some People
(my ear hurts) • Used to express how you don't care about something.
"Boli me uvo za ovaj posao."
"My ear hurts for this job."
Submitted August 2020 by languisto
German
German speaking countries
Idiom USED On Occasion BY Some People
(to only understand train station) • Being unable to understand something.
"Tut mir leid, ich verstehe nur Bahnhof. Kannst du mir das noch einmal erklären?"
“Sorry, I only understand train station. Can you explain this to me again?"
