Idioms from around the world

[Skanky Vamp]

that make no sense in English..

“The fence is not made from sausage”

Language: Hungarian
Translation: Nem kolbászból van a kerítés
Meaning: It’s not as good as you think​

“Did an elephant step on your ear?”

Language: Polish
Translation: Słoń nastąpił ci na ucho?
Meaning: You have bad musical taste, or you do not sing/play well.​

“You have tomatoes on your eyes.”

Language: German
Translation: Tomaten auf den Augen haben
Meaning: You are not seeing what everyone else can see​

“Monkeys bite me!”

Language: Portuguese
Translation: Macacos me mordam!
Meaning: To be intrigued or surprised​

“To take him out of his watermelons”

Language: Romanian
Translation: Îl scoți din pepeni
Meaning: Drive him nuts​

“To live on a cloud made of farts”

Language: Spanish (Argentina)
Translation: Vivir en nube de pedos
Meaning: To be out of touch with reality​

“To jump from the cock to the donkey”

Language: French
Translation: Sauter du coq à l’âne
Meaning: To keep changing topics without logic in a conversation​

“To put up a beer tent”

Language: Tibetan
Translation: chang.sa.rgyag
Meaning: To get married​

 

[Taake]

Monkeys bite me!

(I like that. Think I'll start working that into my daily speech)

 

[Fuffy Baith]

Haha. I've never heard of any of these. They are funny and sounds silly. I would not use these.

 

[GwenRaiden]

Here's some Scottish ones.

Failing means you’re playing.
Translation: It’s better to be doing badly than not taking part.

Mony a mickle maks a muckle.
(mickle = small thing, muckle = big thing)
Translation: Look after the pennies and the dollars look after themselves.

You’re all bum and parsley.
Translation: You’re all mouth and trousers. You’re a blowhard.

Keep the heid.
Translation: Don’t lose your head. Stay calm.

Whit’s fur ye’ll no go past ye.
Translation: Que sera sera. What ever will be, will be. The future’s not ours to see.

You’re a long time deid.
Translation: Lighten up, you’ve got plenty of time to be a misery after you die.

Long may yer lum reek.
(lum = chimney, reek = smoke)
Translation: I wish you well for the future.

She doesnae hae enough room inside her for a rheumatic pain.
Translation: She is thin.
(@Taake)

Haud yer wheesht!
Translation: Shush! Be quiet!

Yer bum’s oot the windae.
Translation: You’re talking nonsense.

All his eggs are double-yoakit.
Translation: He’s a boastful windbag.

Ye make a better door than a windae.
Translation: Get out of the way, you’re obscuring my view.
See also: Yer faither wisnae a glazier.​

 

[gite63]

Monkeys bite me!

(I like that. Think I'll start working that into my daily speech)

Macacos me mordam! - But that's an old fashioned expression, now...

“For the English (man/woman) to see”
Language: Portuguese (Brazil)
Translation: Para inglês ver
Meaning: something that is just for show, not real, not valid.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

All his eggs are double-yoakit.
Translation: He’s a boastful windbag.​

How queer.. it's means he's really lucky here.

 

[gite63]

“For the English (man/woman) to see”
Language: Portuguese (Brazil)
Translation: Para inglês ver
Meaning: something that is just for show, not real, not valid.

...and its origin - wich I didn't know, as usual; most of time, we use certain expressions and have no idea of its original meaning...

19th Century, Brazilian Empire: authorities, pretending that yielded to the pressures of England, passed a law to combat slave trafficking - just "for show", to appease the English... 😳