What are some (non-English) idioms, and what do they mean (both literally and in context)? Odd ones, your favorite ones - any and all are welcome. :)

For example, in English I might call someone a “good egg,” meaning they’re a nice person. Or, if it’s raining heavily, I might say “it’s raining cats and dogs.”

  • tubbadu@lemmy.kde.social
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    8 months ago

    In Piedmontese (northern Italian dialect):

    “To be mounted over squared ball bearing” = to be really strange, not as other people

    “Horse brand” = a product of an unknown low quality brand

    “To beat the goat” = throw a tantrum

    • kpaniz@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Italian here (Veneto) How do you say it in your dialect? The ball bearing one. I really can’t translate it myself into something that could make sense to me.

      • tubbadu@lemmy.kde.social
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        8 months ago

        “esse montà 'n sle bije quadre”, and the literal translation in italian is “essere montato sulle biglie (cuscinetti a sfera) quadre”

    • SkippingRelax@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Also from Piemonte I’ve never heard the horse brand one but “three hens brand” was used regularly when I was a kid.

      My favourite though is “Coma na barca ant el bòsch”, like a boat in the woods