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 French speaking countries

Ce n’est pas une lumière.

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everybody

(He/she is not a light.) • Used to say that a person is not smart. It means the person is not “bright”, like a light.

"Amélie... Ce n’est pas une lumière."

"Amélie... She is not a light."

Italian Italy

stare con le mani in mano

Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone

(to be with hands in hand) • It corresponds to the English “to sit on someone’s hands”. It’s used to refer to someone who isn’t doing anything, especially at the moment of speaking.

"Non posso starmene con le mani in mano mentre i cittadini protestano per le strade."

"I can’t stand with my hands in hand while the citizens are protesting in the streets,"

Spanish Andalusia, Spain

cagarse en todo lo que se menea

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(to shit on everything that wiggles) • An expression of frustration.

"He perdido el tren, ¡me cago en todo lo que se menea!"

"I missed the train, I'm shitting on everything that wiggles!"

Catalan | Catalunya Spain

estem arreglats

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(we are well dressed) • Expression used when you are on a trouble.

"Ens hem oblidat el passaport a casa i el vol surt en una hora, estem arreglades"

"We forgot the passport at home and our plane departs in one hour, we are well-dressed."

Spanish Spain

estar más perdidx que un pulpo en un garaje

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(to be more lost than an octopus in a garage) • To be lost. To not have a clue.

"No estudió nada. Durante el examen estaba más perdido que un pulpo en un garaje."

"He didn't study at all. He was lost more than an octopus in a garage during the exam."

Spanish Spain

papafrita

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(french fry) • Someone dumb, foolish or of little intelligent.

"Fastidió la fiesta sorpresa, se lo contó todo a la cumpleañera. Menudo papafrita".

"He screwed up the surprise party, he told everything to the birthday girl. What a french fry."

Spanish Andalusia, Spain

tajá

Expression USED Frequently BY Some People

A slice, usually of fruit.

"Tengo hambre, ¿me das una tajá de melón?"

"I'm hungry, can you give me a slice of melon?"

Portuguese Brazil

crime ocorre nada acontece feijoada

Expression USED Frequently BY Almost Everyone

Used when something unfair happens in brazil and nobody cares or justice fails. It's an old meme.

"That corrupt politician was elected again!" "Crime occurs nothing happens feijoada"

"Aquele político corrupto se elegeu de novo" "Crime ocorre nada acontece feijoada"

English United Kingdom

No shit, Sherlock

Expression USED Frequently BY Almost Everyone

A response to someone who is stating the obvious. It refers to the famous detective Sherlock Holmes.

"The sky is blue" "No shit, Sherlock!"

Spanish Argentina

chocolate por la noticia

Expression USED Frequently BY Some People

(chocolate for the news) • Used when someone says something really obvious

"Boludo, el dólar está a 170 pesos" "Chocolate por la noticia, pibe. Hace 2 meses está igual"

"Man, one dollar is worth 170 pesos" "Chocolate for the news, bro. It's been like that for the last 2 months"

Swedish Sweden

dra någonting gammalt över dig

Expression USED On Occasion BY Most People

Why tell someone to simply go away when you can make them look stupid at the same time? "Drag something old over yourself" you can yell at someone, and rejoice in the thought of how utterly embarrassed they'll feel with an old blanket on their head.

"Gå bort! Dra någonting gamalt över dig!"

"Go away! Drag something old over yourself!"

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!"

Milanese dialect Milan, Italy

Fa' ballà l'oeucc

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(Let the eye dance) • It's a way to push someone to "move his eyes", to be very careful about something.

"Quella strada è molto trafficata, fa' ballà l'oeucc quando attraversi!"

"There's a lot of traffic on that road, let the eye dance when you cross it!"

Milanese dialect Milan, Italy

Va' a Bagg a sonà l'orghen

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(Go to Baggio to play the organ) • Baggio was a small town close to Milan. The legend says that the parish was so poor that they couldn't even afford an organ for the church, and so had one painted on the wall. So, inviting someone to go to Baggio to play the organ, is like asking to go waste their time somewhere else.

"Non so cosa fare!" "Va' a Bagg a sonà l'orghen!"

"I don't know what to do!" "Go to Baggio to play the organ!"

Spanish Argentina

Chocolate por la noticia

Expression USED Frequently BY Almost Everyone

(chocolate for the new) • used as an answer when someone says something well-known or obvious.

-"Está lloviendo!" -"Chocolate por la noticia."

-"its raining!" -"Chocolate for the new."

English United States

reinventing the wheel

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everybody

When someone discovers or creates something that already exists. Most often used when someone is wasting significant time or effort to create the thing in question.

"School committees should seek to improve upon existing methods, not reinvent the wheel every time they develop a new curriculum."

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."

French French speaking countries

donner sa langue au chat

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everybody

Used when you have to guess something, but it is so hard that you give up and don't want to guess anymore. It comes from the fact that we used to confess our deepest secrets to cats. So they know a lot about everyone. To give your tongue to the cat is to admit that someone (i.e. the cat) knows something that you don't know.

" - Devine qui vient à la soirée ce soir ? - Louis ! - Non. - Walid ! - Non. - Ok, je donne ma langue au chat."

" - Guess who's coming at the party tonight? - Louis! - No. - Walid! - No. - Ok, I give my tongue to the cat."

English Ireland

yer wan

Expression USED Frequently BY Almost Everyone

(your man) • The male/female person who is the topic of the current conversation. It matters not that they may not be related, or even known to, the audience.

What’s yer wan over there think he’s playing at?

What’s that man over there think he’s playing at?