S/D: Idioms

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Idioms are so great; the best part of learning other languages is figuring out the idioms. Tell us your favorite idioms in non-english languages, and for ilx0rs who don't have english as their native language, what english idioms were the funniest or most striking to you?

― teeny (teeny), Monday, 25 August 2003 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)

in spanish, to take a big drink of beer (or other beverage I suppose), translates to 'give the bottle a kiss.'

― teeny (teeny), Monday, 25 August 2003 16:51 (twenty-two years ago)

it's kind of a simple one, but I like how the Spanish say "de nada" as opposed to the English "you're welcome."

― hstencil, Monday, 25 August 2003 16:52 (twenty-two years ago)

French say "de rien" too.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 25 August 2003 16:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't remember the actual spanish for most of mine, just the translations! To get something in english 'by the skin of your teeth' in spanish is 'by the little hair of the frog' which I seem to remember there being a vulgar version of as well.

― teeny (teeny), Monday, 25 August 2003 16:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Is "knee-jerk" an idiom? I love that one. More lyrical and precise than reflexhaft or pawlowianisch, and shorter too.

― Sommermute (Wintermute), Monday, 25 August 2003 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

'Dog fart' in Chinese = BS. I think it's quaint, but it's pretty culturally vulgar.

French 'windowlicking.'

― Leee (Leee), Monday, 25 August 2003 20:18 (twenty-two years ago)

what's windowlicking?

― teeny (teeny), Monday, 25 August 2003 21:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Idiomatically, window shopping. If it weren't for the Aphex song, I'd be thinking that I made it up just then.

― Leee (Leee), Monday, 25 August 2003 21:25 (twenty-two years ago)

my fave: me hace hervie a la mierda
into idiomatic English, where we would usually say "s/he(it) really burns me up"

Literal translation: you make my shit boil.

― Orbit (Orbit), Tuesday, 26 August 2003 03:05 (twenty-two years ago)

four years pass...

Hey, you know how people say, "locked and loaded?" What does the locked part mean? I get the loaded part. I think it would be better f it were cocked and loaded, but that's why I'm not an idiom maker.

― Will M., Friday, 9 November 2007 19:19 (eighteen years ago)

two years pass...

What the hell does "murderous machinations" mean? All searches on google, answers.com, and the like offer absolutely nothing.

― EDB, Saturday, 30 January 2010 16:52 (sixteen years ago)

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