ITT illustrations of idiomatic expressions for which there is no exact English equivalent

I'll start with the Swedish word 'paragrafryttare':

Paragraf is paragraph and ryttare is rider. So a paragraph rider. Definition: pedantic enforcement of rules and detailed regulations, often without regard to common sense; to "ride" on sections by applying them stricter than what is reasonable.

http://i.imgur.com/pNEvEno.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/jk6nNSB.png?1

einen Bären aufbinden (German)

to trick; to cheat somebody. Literally: "to tie a bear on (someone’s back)". The word Bär ("bear") is very probably an ignorant—or rather humorous—malapropism for a word meaning "burden" (compare Bürde, Bahre)

http://i.imgur.com/PPyKJFi.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/l4RnopY.jpg?1

"Paragrafryttare" reminds me of the Finnish word "pilkunnussija", which means "grammar nazi", but the literal trasnlation is "comma fucker".

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NE0htCqQkaQ/Tnnab-HcWJI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/IfIPRMLAE2Q/s1600/20110921725.jpg

thread delivers

Are there colon fuckers?

Brings a whole new meaning to 'Eats, shoots, and leaves'.

Sorry to be a total pilkunnussija but why the Oxford comma?

lol, I was hoping Tuomas was making an appearance

glida in på en räkmacka (Swedish)

Shrimp sandwiches are such an integral part of Swedish culture, they have inspired a popular saying: 'glida in på en räkmacka' (literally 'glide in on a shrimp sandwich,' but roughly corresponding to the expression 'get a free ride'), meaning to get an advantage without having done anything to deserve it.

http://i.imgur.com/7McfZ42.gif

http://i.imgur.com/Lvn1V98.jpg

apparently some other languages have '______fucker' constructions that roughly translate to 'pedant' or 'nitpicker'. Danish 'flueknepper' (fly-fucker), Dutch 'mierenneuker' (ant-fucker), French 'enculeur de mouches' (fly-fucker)

i-tüpferl-reiter (German)

Austrian German has the term "i-tüpferl-reiter": someone who rides the dot above the "i."

http://i.imgur.com/qyOnxXW.jpg

Loving this thread, more please.

http://cs11512.vkontakte.ru/u1700703/-14/x_5e5c3aab.jpg

in german 'nur Bahnhof verstehen' (to understand only 'train station') is for something to go over your head.

This thread is rolling as if lubricated (läuft wie geschmiert, German, meaning "is going well and easily".)

http://www.numerama.com/forum/uploads/media/large/84066/Violon-p.png

... as immortalized by Kevin Ayers on his album, "Shooting at the Moon"

how would one possibly use that

http://i.imgur.com/OKtNTtI.jpg

A bad dancer will be impeded by his own testicles.

Avoir les deux pieds dans le même sabot (French)

"To have two feet in the same clog"
= (to be clumsy, to not be able to get a move on things)

http://i.imgur.com/eAhGCEe.jpg?1

http://i.imgur.com/QoWrsBT.jpg?1

https://41.media.tumblr.com/95dba9331b0d368e765d1cb9227208b4/tumblr_nct89uxweU1somw7ho2_500.png

in german 'Graf Koks von der Gasanstalt' in like 'Lord Snooty (of the gasworks)'. The name Koks is based on an old word for a top hat, but it has come to mean cocaine, so it sounds as if people are talking about 'Count Cocaine'.