I had a chat with my colleague today about expressions and sayings, and how hard it is to actually translate them. Some can be translated easily and some are just impossible to translate. Do you know any expressions that get badly broken if they get translated directly (wordy-by-word) from your language to English? -I'll start off with a "good" one from Finnish... "Minulla on valtava kulli otsassa" - "I have a huge cock in my forehead" The actual meaning is more like "I'm really pissed off at something" or "Something's pissing me off big-time".
There is actually a Radio Show everyday in my town, translating the funniest german phrases into english. Its called: English for betterknowers - Englisch für Besserwisser Meaning: English for "smartasses" / English for People who are cleverer and showing it.
nice idea ^^ the dutch know quite a lot of sayings that get broken in other languages, some even use them seriously in english --' you got "Now breaks my wooden shoe" which means "nou breekt mijn klomp" in dutch It's about how something really startles you
Nice idea there is one that I can remember now in bosnian bosnian "Ide mi na kurac" which means littearly literally translated "goes on my dick" which basically means goes on my nerves
Since I also speak arabic, I know some more funny phrases. (Do not read the next sentence unless you are 18 or above) Thats my most favourite sentence in arabic "Kus umak" = "The vagina of your mother" = Fuck your mother
I got more... "Pička ti materina" "pussy of your mother" Translates into any insult directed to someone
I remember a manager of mine keeping a speach, and he literally translated "daar neem ik mijn hollandse pet voor af" into "for that I take my dutch cap off" (literal translation). The dutch saying "voor dat neem ik m'n pet af" means pay respect for something, in English "dutch cap" means condom....
Saw that one on facebook today, immediatly thought about this post haha I think i spider - ich glaube ich spinne Spinne = Spider or crazy (=I think I am crazy)
Finnish The spruce is on fire.......................................Kuusi palaa The spruce returns.........................................Kuusi palaa The number six is on fire...............................Kuusi palaa The number six returns.................................Kuusi palaa Six of them are on fire...................................Kuusi palaa Six of the return.............................................Kuusi palaa Your moon is on fire......................................Kuusi palaa Your moon returns........................................Kuusi palaa Six pieces........................................................Kuusi palaa