17/03/2016

40brilliantidiomsthatsimplycantbetranslatedliterally|TEDBlog

40brilliantidiomsthatsimply
cantbetranslatedliterally
Postedby:HeleneBattandKateTorgovnickMay January20,2015at1:02pmPDT

Whatdoesitmeantohavetomatoesonyoureyes?Findoutbelow

Itsapieceofcake.Youcantputlipstickonapig.Whyaddfueltothe
fire?Idiomsarethosephrasesthatmeanmorethanthesumoftheir
words.AsourOpenTranslationProjectvolunteerstranslateTEDTalks
into105languages,theyreoftenchallengedtotranslateEnglishidioms
intotheirlanguage.Whichmadeuswonder:whataretheirfavorite
idiomsintheirowntongue?
Below,weaskedtranslatorstosharetheirfavoriteidiomsandhowthey
wouldtranslateliterally.Theresultsarelaughoutloudfunny.

FromGermantranslatorJohannaPichler:
Theidiom:TomatenaufdenAugenhaben.
Literaltranslation:Youhavetomatoesonyoureyes.
Whatitmeans:Youarenotseeingwhateveryoneelsecansee.It
referstorealobjects,thoughnotabstractmeanings.
http://blog.ted.com/40idiomsthatcantbetranslatedliterally/

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40brilliantidiomsthatsimplycantbetranslatedliterally|TEDBlog

Theidiom:IchverstehenurBahnhof.
Literaltranslation:Ionlyunderstandthetrainstation.
Whatitmeans:Idontunderstandathingaboutwhatthatpersonis
saying.
Theidiom:DieKatzeimSackkaufen.
Literaltranslation:Tobuyacatinasack.
Whatitmeans:Thatabuyerpurchasedsomethingwithout
inspectingitfirst.
Otherlanguagesthisidiomexistsin:Wehearfromtranslators
thatthisisanidiominSwedish,Polish,LatvianandNorwegian.In
English,thephraseisbuyingapiginpoke,butEnglishspeakers
doalsoletthecatoutofthebag,whichmeanstoreveal
somethingthatssupposedtobesecret.

FromSwedishtranslatorMattiJro:
Theidiom:Detringenkopisen
Literaltranslation:Theresnocowontheice.
Whatitmeans:Theresnoneedtoworry.WealsouseDetr
ingenfaraptaket,orTheresnodangerontheroof,tomeanthe
samething.
Theidiom:Attglidainpenrkmacka
Literaltranslation:Toslideinonashrimpsandwich.
Whatitmeans:Itreferstosomebodywhodidnthavetoworkto
getwheretheyare.
Theidiom:Detfllmellanstolarna
Literaltranslation:Itfellbetweenchairs.
Whatitmeans:Itsanexcuseyouusewhentwopeoplewere
supposedtodoit,butnobodydid.Ithasevolvedintotheslightly
ironicphrase,Itfellbetweenthechair,whichyouusewhenyou
wanttosay,Yeah,IknowIwassupposedtodoitbutIforgot.

FromThaitranslatorKelwalin
Dhanasarnsombut:
http://blog.ted.com/40idiomsthatcantbetranslatedliterally/

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40brilliantidiomsthatsimplycantbetranslatedliterally|TEDBlog

Theidiom:

Literaltranslation:Takeearstothefield,takeeyestothefarm.
Whatitmeans:Itmeansdontpayanyattention.Almostlikedont
bringyoureyesandearswithyou.Ifthatwerepossible.
Theidiom:

Literaltranslation:Thehenseesthesnakesfeetandthesnake
seesthehensboobs.
Whatitmeans:Itmeanstwopeopleknoweachotherssecrets.
Theidiom:

Literaltranslation:Oneafternooninyournextreincarnation.
Whatitmeans:Itsnevergonnahappen.
Otherlanguagesthisidiomexistsin:Aphrasethatmeansa
similarthinginEnglish:Whenpigsfly.InFrench,thesameideais
conveyedbythephrase,whenhenshaveteeth(quandlespoules
aurontdesdents).InRussian,itstheintriguingphrase,Whena
lobsterwhistlesontopofamountain().
AndinDutch,itsWhenthecowsaredancingontheice(Alsde
koeienophetijsdansen).

FromLatviantranslatorIlzeGardaandKristaps
Kadiis:
Theidiom:Pstpltes.
Literaltranslation:Toblowlittleducks.
Whatitmeans:Itmeanstotalknonsenseortolie.
Otherlanguageconnections:InCroatian,whensomeoneis
obviouslylyingtosomeone,yousaythattheyarethrowingcream
intotheireyes(bacatikajmakuoi).
Theidiom:Ejbekot.
Literaltranslation:Gopickmushrooms,or,morespecifically,Go
pickboletes!'
Whatitmeans:Goawayand/orleavemealone.

FromFrenchtranslatorPatrickBrault:
http://blog.ted.com/40idiomsthatcantbetranslatedliterally/

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40brilliantidiomsthatsimplycantbetranslatedliterally|TEDBlog

Theidiom:Avalerdescouleuvres.
Literaltranslation:Toswallowgrasssnakes.
Whatitmeans:Itmeansbeingsoinsultedthatyourenotableto
reply.
Theidiom:Sauterducoqlne.
Literaltranslation:Tojumpfromthecocktothedonkey.
Whatitmeans:Itmeanstokeepchangingtopicswithoutlogicina
conversation.
Theidiom:Seregarderenchiensdefaence.
Literaltranslation:Tolookateachotherlikeearthenwaredogs.
Whatitmeans:Basically,tolookateachothercoldly,with
distrust.
Theidiom:Lescarottessontcuites!
Literaltranslation:Thecarrotsarecooked!
Whatitmeans:Thesituationcantbechanged.
Otherlanguageconnections:Itsbitlikethephrase,Itsnouse
cryingoverspiltmilk,inEnglish.

FromRussiantranslatorAliaksandrAutayeu:
Theidiom:
Literaltranslation:GallopingacrossEurope.
Whatitmeans:Todosomethinghastily,haphazardly.
Theidiom:
Literaltranslation:Thethiefhasaburninghat.
Whatitmeans:Hehasanuneasyconsciencethatbetraysitself.
Theidiom:
Literaltranslation:Youcansharpenwithanaxontopofthis
head.
Whatitmeans:Hesaverystubbornperson.
Theidiom:/
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40brilliantidiomsthatsimplycantbetranslatedliterally|TEDBlog

Literaltranslation:Totakeoneselfinoneshands.
Whatitmeans:Itmeanstopullyourselftogether.
Otherlanguagesthisidiomexistsin:Translatorstellusthatthere
isaGermanversionofthisidiomtoo:Sichzusammenreien,
whichtranslatesliterallyastotearoneselftogether.AndinPolish,
thesameideaisexpressedbythephrase,wetakeourselvesinto
ourfist(wzisiwgar).

FromPortuguesetranslatorsGustavo
RochaandLeonardoSilva:
Theidiom:Quemnosecomunicasetrumbica
Literaltranslation:Hewhodoesntcommunicate,getshisfingers
burnt.
Whatitmeans:Hewhodoesntcommunicategetsintotrouble.
Theidiom:Quemnotemcocaacomgato
Literaltranslation:Hewhodoesnthaveadoghuntswithacat.
Whatitmeans:Youmakethemostofwhatyouvegot.Basically,
youdowhatyouneedtodo,withwhattheresourcesyouhave.
Theidiom:Empurrarcomabarriga
Literaltranslation:Topushsomethingwithyourbelly.
Whatitmeans:Tokeeppostponinganimportantchore.
Theidiom:Pagaropato
Literaltranslation:Paytheduck.
Whatitmeans:Totaketheblameforsomethingyoudidnotdo.

FromPolishtranslatorKingaSkorupska:
Theidiom:Sonastpicinaucho?
Literaltranslation:Didanelephantstomponyourear?
Whatitmeans:Youhavenoearformusic.
Otherlanguagesthisidiomexistsin:Ourtranslatorstellusthatin
Croatian,theresalsoaconnectionmadebetweenelephantsand
musicalabilityinthephrase,Yousinglikeanelephantfartedinyour
http://blog.ted.com/40idiomsthatcantbetranslatedliterally/

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40brilliantidiomsthatsimplycantbetranslatedliterally|TEDBlog

ear(Pjevakaodatijeslonprdnuouuho.).ButintheLatvian
version,itsabearwhostompsonyourear.
Theidiom:Bukazmasem.
Literaltranslation:Itsarollwithbutter.
Whatitmeans:Itsreallyeasy.
Theidiom:Zchoinkisiurwaa?
Literaltranslation:DidyoufallfromaChristmastree?
Whatitmeans:Youarenotwellinformed,anditshows.

FromJapanesetranslatorsYasushi
AokiandEmiKamiya:
Theidiom:
Literaltranslation:Towearacatononeshead.
Whatitmeans:Yourehidingyourclawsandpretendingtobea
nice,harmlessperson.
Theidiom:
Literaltranslation:Willingtoborrowacatspaws.*
Whatitmeans:Youresobusythatyourewillingtotakehelpfrom
anyone.
Theidiom:
Literaltranslation:Catsforehead.
Whatitmeans:Atinyspace.Often,youuseitwhenyoure
speakinghumblyaboutlandthatyouown.
Theidiom:
Literaltranslation:Cattongue.
Whatitmeans:Needingtowaituntilhotfoodcoolstoeatit.
*Yes,Japanesehasquiteafewcatidioms.

FromKazakhtranslatorAskhatYerkimbay:
Theidiom:
http://blog.ted.com/40idiomsthatcantbetranslatedliterally/

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40brilliantidiomsthatsimplycantbetranslatedliterally|TEDBlog

Literaltranslation:Iseethesunonyourback.
Whatitmeans:Thankyouforbeingyou.Iamalivebecauseof
yourhelp.

FromCroatiantranslatorIvanStamenkovic:
Theidiom:Doemacanavratanca
Literaltranslation:Thepussycatwillcometothetinydoor.
Whatitmeans:Essentially,Whatgoesaroundcomesaround.
Theidiom:Davidimoijamajkacrnuvunuprede
Literaltranslation:Weseewhosemotherisspinningblackwool.
Whatitmeans:Itslikebeingtheblacksheepinthefamily.
Theidiom:MudaLabudova
Literaltranslation:Ballsofaswan.
Whatitmeans:Itmeanssomethingthatsimpossible.
Theidiom:Miovuku
Literaltranslation:Totalkaboutthewolf.
Whatitmeans:Itssimilartospeakofthedevil.
Otherlanguageconnections:InPolish,Owilkumowaisthe
equivalent.

FromTamiltranslatorThariqueAzeez:
Theidiom:(ThalaiMuzhuguthal)
Literaltranslation:Totakeadiporpourwateroversomeones
head.
Whatitmeans:Tocutoffarelationship.
Theidiom: (ThanneerKaattuthal)

Literaltranslation:Showingwatertosomeone.
Whatitmeans:Itmeanstobesomeonesnemesis.

FromDutchtranslatorValerieBoor:
Theidiom:IetsmetdeFranseslagdoen
http://blog.ted.com/40idiomsthatcantbetranslatedliterally/

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40brilliantidiomsthatsimplycantbetranslatedliterally|TEDBlog

Literaltranslation:DoingsomethingwiththeFrenchwhiplash.
Whatitmeans:Thisapparentlycomesfromridingterminology.It
meansdoingsomethinghastily.
Theidiom:Ietsvooreenappeleneeneikopen
Literaltranslation:Buyingsomethingforanappleandanegg.
Whatitmeans:Itmeansyouboughtitverycheaply.
Otherlanguageconnections:SpanishtranslatorCamille
MartnezpointsoutoutthatwhensomethingisexpensiveinEnglish,
youpaytwobodypartsforit(itcostmeanarmandaleg),
whereasinSpanishyouonlypayoneeitherakidney(mecost
unrin)oraneye(mecostunojodelacara).

FromKoreantranslatorJeongKinser:
Theidiom:
Literaltranslation:Adogwithfecesscoldsadogwithhusksof
grain.
Whatitmeans:Itsabitlike,Peoplewholiveinglasshouses
shouldntthrowstones.
Theidiom:
Literaltranslation:50stepsaresimilarto100steps.
Whatitmeans:Ithinkofitas,Sixofone,halfadozenofthe
other.
Whatareyourfavoriteidioms?Shareinthecommentssection.

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