I Promise to Never Put Something in Your Nose Again

What does it mean to "have tomatoes on your eyes?" Discover out below…

It's a piece of block. You can't put lipstick on a pig. Why add fuel to the fire? Idioms are those phrases that mean more than than the sum of their words. Every bit our TED Translator volunteers translate TED Talks into 116 languages (and counting), they're frequently challenged to translate English language idioms into their language. Which fabricated united states of america wonder: what are their favorite idioms in their own natural language?

Below, we asked translators to share their favorite idioms and how they would translate literally. The results are express mirth-out-loud funny.

From German translator Johanna Pichler :

The idiom: Tomaten auf den Augen haben.
Literal translation: "You lot have tomatoes on your eyes."
What information technology means: "You are not seeing what everyone else tin can see. It refers to real objects, though — not abstract meanings."

The idiom: Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof.
Literal translation: "I only understand the railroad train station."
What it means: "I don't sympathise a matter about what that person is saying.'"

The idiom: Die Katze im Sack kaufen.
Literal translation: "To buy a true cat in a sack."
What it ways: That a buyer purchased something without inspecting it first.
Other languages this idiom exists in: We hear from translators that this is an idiom in Swedish, Polish, Latvian and Norwegian. In English, the phrase is "buying a pig in poke," but English speakers do also  "allow the cat out of the bag," which ways to reveal something that's supposed to be secret.

From Swedish translator Matti Jääro :

The idiom: Det är ingen ko på isen
Literal translation: "At that place's no moo-cow on the ice."
What it means: "There's no need to worry. We also use 'Det är ingen fara på taket,' or 'There'due south no danger on the roof,' to mean the aforementioned affair."

The idiom: Att glida in på en räkmacka
Literal translation: "To slide in on a shrimp sandwich."
What it means: "It refers to somebody who didn't have to work to get where they are."

The idiom: Det föll mellan stolarna
Literal translation: "It fell between chairs."
What it means: "It's an excuse y'all utilise when 2 people were supposed to do it, but nobody did. It has evolved into the slightly ironic phrase, 'It fell between the chair,' which you use when yous want to say,'Aye, I know I was supposed to practice it but I forgot.'"

From Thai translator Kelwalin Dhanasarnsombut :

The idiom: เอาหูไปนา เอาตาไปไร่
Literal translation: "Have ears to the field, take eyes to the farm."
What information technology means: "It means 'don't pay whatsoever attention.' Almost like 'don't bring your eyes and ears with you.' If that were possible."

The idiom: ไก่เห็นตีนงู งูเห็นนมไก่
Literal translation: "The hen sees the snake's feet and the snake sees the hen's boobs."
What it means: "It ways two people know each other'south secrets."

The idiom: ชาติหน้าตอนบ่าย ๆ
Literal translation: "One afternoon in your next reincarnation."
What it means: "It's never gonna happen."
Other languages this idiom exists in: A phrase that means a similar thing in English: "When pigs fly." In French, the aforementioned thought is conveyed by the phrase, "when hens accept teeth (quand les poules auront des dents)." In Russian, it's the intriguing phrase, "When a lobster whistles on tiptop of a mountain (Когда рак на горе свистнет)." And in Dutch, it'south "When the cows are dancing on the water ice (Als de koeien op het ijs dansen)."

From Latvian translator Ilze Garda and Kristaps Kadiķis :

The idiom: Pūst pīlītes.
Literal translation: "To blow little ducks."
What it means: "It ways to talk nonsense or to lie."
Other language connections: In Croatian, when someone is apparently lying to someone, you say that they are "throwing cream into their eyes (bacati kajmak u oči)."

The idiom: Ej bekot.
Literal translation: "'Get pick mushrooms,' or, more specifically, 'Go pick boletes!'"
What it means: "Go away and/or go out me alone."

From French translator Patrick Brault :

The idiom: Avaler des couleuvres.
Literal translation: "To eat grass snakes."
What it ways: "It ways being and so insulted that you're not able to reply."

The idiom: Sauter du coq à fifty'âne.
Literal translation: "To leap from the cock to the donkey."
What it means: "It ways to proceed irresolute topics without logic in a conversation."

The idiom: Se regarder en chiens de faïence.
Literal translation: "To look at each other like earthenware dogs."
What it ways: "Basically, to expect at each other coldly, with distrust."

The idiom: Les carottes sont cuites!
Literal translation: "The carrots are cooked!"
What it ways: "The situation can't be changed."
Other language connections: It'due south bit similar the phrase, "Information technology's no use crying over spilt milk," in English language.

From Russian translator Aliaksandr Autayeu :

The idiom: Галопом по Европам
Literal translation: "Galloping beyond Europe."
What it means: "To exercise something hastily, haphazardly."

The idiom: На воре и шапка горит
Literal translation: "The thief has a burning hat."
What it ways: "He has an uneasy conscience that betrays itself."

The idiom: Хоть кол на голове теши
Literal translation: "You lot can sharpen with an ax on top of this head."
What it means: "He's a very stubborn person."

The idiom: брать/взять себя в руки
Literal translation: "To take oneself in one'south easily."
What it means: "Information technology means 'to pull yourself together.'"
Other languages this idiom exists in: Translators tell united states that at that place is a German version of this idiom too: "Sich zusammenreißen," which translates literally as "to tear oneself together." And in Shine, the aforementioned thought is expressed by the phrase, "we take ourselves into our fist (wziąć się w garść)."

From Portuguese translators Gustavo Rocha and Leonardo Silva :

The idiom: Quem não se comunica se trumbica
Literal translation: "He who doesn't communicate, gets his fingers burnt."
What it means: "He who doesn't communicate gets into problem."'

The idiom: Quem não tem cão caça com gato
Literal translation: "He who doesn't have a dog hunts with a cat."
What it means: "You brand the most of what you lot've got." Basically, y'all exercise what you need to practice, with what the resources you lot accept.

The idiom: Empurrar com a barriga
Literal translation: "To push something with your belly."
What information technology ways: "To keep postponing an important chore."

The idiom: Pagar o pato
Literal translation: "Pay the duck."
What it means: "To accept the blame for something you lot did not practise."

From Polish translator Kinga Skorupska :

The idiom: Słoń nastąpił ci na ucho?
Literal translation: "Did an elephant stomp on your ear?"
What information technology ways: "You have no ear for music."
Other languages this idiom exists in : Our translators tell united states of america that in Croatian, at that place's also a connection made betwixt elephants and musical ability in the phrase, "Y'all sing similar an elephant farted in your ear (Pjevaš kao da ti je slon prdnuo u uho.)." Just in the Latvian version, it's a bear who stomps on your ear.

The idiom: Bułka z masłem.
Literal translation: "It's a curl with butter."
What information technology means: "It's really easy."

The idiom: Z choinki się urwałaś?
Literal translation: "Did yous autumn from a Christmas tree?"
What it ways: "You are not well informed, and it shows."

From Japanese translators Yasushi Aoki and Emi Kamiya :

The idiom: 猫をかぶる
Literal translation: "To wearable a cat on ane's head."
What it means: "You lot're hiding your claws and pretending to be a nice, harmless person."

The idiom: 猫の手も借りたい
Literal translation: "Willing to infringe a true cat's paws."*
What it ways: "You're then decorated that you lot're willing to accept aid from anyone."

The idiom: 猫の額
Literal translation: "Cat's forehead."
What it means: "A tiny infinite. Often, y'all use information technology when you're speaking humbly about country that y'all own."

The idiom: 猫舌
Literal translation: "Cat tongue."
What information technology ways: "Needing to expect until hot food cools to eat it."

*Yes, Japanese has quite a few true cat idioms.

From Kazakh translator Askhat Yerkimbay:

The idiom: Сенің арқаңда күн көріп жүрмін
Literal translation: "I see the sun on your back."
What information technology means: "Thanks for being yous. I am alive considering of your assist."

From Croatian translator Ivan Stamenkovic :

The idiom: Doće maca na vratanca
Literal translation: "The pussy cat volition come up to the tiny door."
What information technology means: "Essentially, 'What goes around comes around.'"

The idiom: Da vidimo čija majka crnu vunu prede
Literal translation: "We come across whose mother is spinning blackness wool."
What it means: "It's similar being the black sheep in the family."

The idiom: Muda Labudova
Literal translation: "Assurance of a swan."
What it means: "It means something that's impossible."

The idiom: Mi o vuku
Literal translation: "To talk virtually the wolf."
What it means: "Information technology's similar to 'speak of the devil.'"
Other language connections: In Polish, "O wilku mowa" is the equivalent.

From Tamil translator Tharique Azeez :

The idiom: தலை முழுகுதல் (Thalai Muzhuguthal)
Literal translation: "To take a dip or pour water over someone's head."
What it means: "To cutting off a relationship."

The idiom: தண்ணீர் காட்டுதல் (Thanneer Kaattuthal)
Literal translation: "Showing water to someone."
What it ways: "Information technology means to be someone's nemesis."

From Dutch translator Valerie Churl :

The idiom: Iets met de Franse slag doen
Literal translation: "Doing something with the French whiplash."
What it means: "This patently comes from riding terminology. It means doing something hastily."

The idiom: Iets voor een appel en een ei kopen
Literal translation: "Ownership something for an apple and an egg."
What information technology means: "It means you bought it very cheaply."
Other language connections: Spanish translator Camille Martínez points out out that when something is expensive in English, you pay two torso parts for it ("it price me an arm and a leg"), whereas in Castilian you merely pay one — either a kidney ("me costó united nations riñón") or an middle ("me costó un ojo de la cara").

From Korean translator Jeong Kinser :

The idiom: 똥 묻은 개가 겨 묻은 개 나무란다
Literal translation: "A dog with feces scolds a dog with husks of grain."
What it means: "It'due south a fleck similar, 'People who alive in drinking glass houses shouldn't throw stones.'"

The idiom: 오십보 백보
Literal translation: "50 steps are like to 100 steps."
What information technology means: "I think of it every bit, 'Six of one, half a dozen of the other.'"

What are your favorite idioms? Share in the comments section.

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Source: https://blog.ted.com/40-idioms-that-cant-be-translated-literally/

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