French France

avoir une araignée au plafond

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Everyone

(to have a spider on the ceiling) • Describes someone who is not the brightest or someone crazy. If a spider has the space to make a net inside your head, it is not a good sign, as the spider lives in a room that is not used a lot.

"N'écoute pas ce mec, il a une araignée au plafond." "Ton pote est un peu bizarre, il doit avoir une araignée au plafond."

"Don't listen to this guy, he has a spider on the ceiling." "Your mate is a bit weird, he must have a spider on the ceiling."

English Canada

a few fries short of a Happy Meal

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some people

Variation of “a few bricks short of a load” to describe someone who isn’t very smart.

“That guy just cut me off on the road! Couldn’t he see my car?” “He must be a few fries short of a happy meal.”

French French speaking countries

Ce n'est pas le couteau le plus aiguisé du tiroir.

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(It is not the sharpest knife in the drawer.) • It means that you are not really smart but it is said in a funny way.

" - Je n'ai pas réussi à faire cet exercice. - Tu n'es vraiment pas le couteau le plus aiguisé du tiroir..."

"I did not manage to do this exercise. - You are definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer..."

French France

Bien vu, l'aveugle!

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Anyone

(Well seen, the blind!) • This is something you may say to someone who just discovered something obvious. This is obviously a pun, and "bien vu" actually translates to "well spotted", "good catch".

"T'as déjà remarqué que presque tous les salons de coiffures ont un jeu de mot dans leur nom ?" "Bien vu, l'aveugle !"

"Have you ever noticed that almost every hairdressing salon has a pun in its name?" "Well seen, the blind!"

Italian Lombardy and Tessin, Italy and Switzerland

Dopo sette fette, ha capito che era polenta

Proverb USED On Rare Occasion BY Mostly old people

(After seven slices, s/he realized it was polenta) • Used to describe someone who realizes something obvious, especially after doing the same thing in a more long or difficult way for a long time.

"Ieri mio fratello ha scoperto che può sbloccare il suo telefono con l'impronta digitale." "Beh, dopo sette fette ha capito che era polenta!"

"Yesterday my brother discovered he can unlock his phone with his fingerprint." "Well, after seven slices he realized it was polenta!"

Dutch Netherlands

nu komt de aap uit de mouw

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Everybody

(now the monkey comes out of the sleeve) • When everything suddenly makes sense. The truth comes out. The cat is out of the bag. Someone's true nature becomes clear.

Caleb wil geld van zijn vader. Hij gaat bij zijn vader op bezoek. Zijn vader vindt dat heel gezellig. Dan vraagt Caleb om geld. Zijn vader zegt: “Nu komt de aap uit de mouw! Je kwam niet voor de gezelligheid, je komt alleen omdat je geld wil.”

Caleb wants money from his father. He visits his father. His father really enjoys the company. Then Caleb asks his father for money. His father says: "Now the monkey comes out of the sleeve! You didn't come here to keep me company, you just came here because you wanted money."

Norwegian Norway

grunker

Word USED On Rare Occasion BY Older Generations

(noun) • An old fashioned, archaic word meaning 'money'. Used by older people or by younger people ironically.

"Et øyeblikk, så skal jeg se om jeg har noen grunker til deg."

"One moment, let me see if I got some money for you."

Italian Italy

broccolo

Word USED On Rare Occasion BY Everyone

(noun) • (broccoli ) • "Broccolo" is what you would call someone who is good for nothing and doesn't have any skills. Also someone who is stupid and dumb.

"Non ho parole... Sei un broccolo!"

"I'm speechless... You are a broccoli!"

Italian Italy

baccalà

Word USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(noun) • (salted codfish) • It's an insult used to address an incompetent and stupid person.

"È un baccalà, non è buono a niente!"

"He is a salted codfish, a good-for-nothing!"

Dutch Netherlands

iets in het contract fietsen

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY business people

(to cycle something in the contract) • To add something to a contract during negotiations.

"Het aantal vakantiedagen moeten we nog wel in het contract fietsen."

"We still have to cycle the number of vacation days in the contract."

Dutch Netherlands

op een oude fiets moet je het leren

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(you have to learn it on an old bicycle) • Used to refer to a young person going out with an older partner (often younger men with older women). It can also be used for people using other learning tools that are quite old (like old books, etc.)

"Heb je de nieuwe vriendin van Jos gezien?" "Tsja, op een oude fiets moet je het leren."

"Have you seen Jos's new girlfriend?" "Well, you have to learn it on an old bicycle."

Dutch Netherlands

de fiets aan de haak hangen

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(to hang the bike on the wall) • Originally refers to someone stopping with cycling, putting their bike up on the wall, but can now be used for anyone stopping with something.

"Na 30 jaar heeft hij de fiets aan de muur gehangen."

"After 30 years he hung his bike from the wall."

Dutch Netherlands

iets boven de tafel fietsen

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(to bike something above the table) • To get clarity about something or someone's intentions.

"Voordat we verder gaan met dit voorstel moeten eerst zijn bedoelingen boven tafel fietsen."

"Before we continue with this proposal we must first cycle the intentions above the table.

Dutch Netherlands

eerst mijn fiets terug

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(first my bike back) • "First my bicycle back" is a statement in the Netherlands, referring to the seizure of bicycles in the Netherlands in World War II by the German occupiers. In the first two decades after the war, it was regarded as an expression of anti-German sentiment. After that, it became more and more an ironic joke, which can be made in any way, shape or form referring to German having stolen bikes and not giving them back.

*ziet Duitser op fiets* "Nog steeds die fiets niet teruggegeven, hè?"

*sees German on bike* "They still haven't given those bikes back, have they?"

Dutch Netherlands

Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen?

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(What have I got hanging from my bike now?) • It means "What is going on?" or "What kind of strange thing is happening now?"

"Wat heb ik nou aan mijn fiets hangen? Sneeuw in de zomer?"

"What have I got hanging from my bike now? Snow in summer?"

Dutch Netherlands

op die fiets

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(on that bike) • When you previously didn't understand correctly, but now you do, you can say "Ah, op die fiets".

"Dus je gaat alleen?" "Nee, maar ik ben de enige van onze familie die gaat." "Ah, op die fiets."

"So you are going alone?" "No, but I am the only person of our family that is going." "Ah, on that bike."

Dutch Netherlands

ga toch fietsen

Standard Phrase USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(go ride a bike) • A way of telling someone to go away or to stop being ridiculous.

"10 euro voor een biertje? Ga toch fietsen."

"10 euro for a beer? Go ride a bike."

Dutch Netherlands

wonder boven wonder

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Some People

(miracle above miracle) • When something truly miraculous happens.

"Ik was mijn sjaal al jaren kwijt, en wonder boven wonder vond ik hem vorige week in een tweedehandswinkel."

"I had lost my scarf for years, but miracle above miracle I found it last week in a second hand shop."

Polish Poland

orka na ugorze

Idiom USED On Rare Occasion BY Older Generations

(ploughing a fallow field) • An extremely tedious and unsatisfying task.

"Uczenie tego dziecka dobrych manier to orka na ugorze."

"Teaching this kid good manners is like ploughing a fallow field."

English United States

the pot calling the kettle black

Idiom USED On Rare Occasion BY Mostly Young or the Very Old

(Used for calling someone a hypocrite after they criticize you.) • An old idiom meant to point out someone's hypocrisy.

"You really need to learn to have some patience." "Oh, hi Pot, I'm Kettle. Have we met?"