Phrases that make no sense in other languages

[EndUser]

   The title says it all. It's about phrases which everyone uses in their mother tongue, but are difficult or impossible to be sensible elsewhere without changing them.

 

   For instance, someone asks you "What are you doing?" while you're reading a book, which is (generally) very obvious. The Greek way to say "Isn't that obvious?" is: "I spread out frumenty."

  Or, when I ask something from someone and they, in turn, ask a third person. The slang we use for this case is: "I told my dog and the dog told its tail".

 

   There are WAY TOO MANY LINES like these, so I'm not gonna write them all down now! Few at a time.   ;)

 

So, what phrases do you use? How funny/stupid do they sound in a foreign language?

[宇佐見 蓮子@C94]

[EndUser]

Ha ha ha ha ha.... The Sausage Country. With beer, of course... :)

I'll write it in a random forum; noone will ever see me again ^_^

[Cosmo.]

Here in italy, we say "Eh che cavolo!" for when we're frustrated or we use "Cavolo!" instead of bad words, or when we messed up, but in english that means "Artichoke!" so when we mess up we say "Artichoke!".

[EndUser]

Here in italy, we say "Eh che cavolo!" for when we're frustrated or we use "Cavolo!" instead of bad words, or when we messed up, but in english that means "Artichoke!" so when we mess up we say "Artichoke!".

In few words, if you're angry at me, you offer me a vegetable to eat. And what if I hate artichokes? I hate you! 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLg64tY7FMc

[EndUser]

  Ok, let me share with you two more:

 

 

i) When somebody does or says somehing stupid/wrong or whatever, and we are like "So not right man", the phrase we may use is "Three birds are sitting".

 

ii) When you ask for someone's help or when someone is unwilling to do something easy, you're like "That not too hard to do!". The phrase you use is: "Yeah, don't let your ass fall!"

[Night]

The way we say "literally" when we've no fucking intention of being literal.

 

That shit doesn't even make sense within our own language. 

[Resident Fascist]

The way we say "literally" when we've no fucking intention of being literal.

 

That shit doesn't even make sense within our own language. 

 

literally true. 

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

The way we say "literally" when we've no f***ing intention of being literal.

 

That s*** doesn't even make sense within our own language. 

Literally the worst.

Ironic that Americans get upset at people for not speaking the language when we don't even know what out own language is half the time.

 

Shit I meant to use irony wrong for a joke but I think I used it correctly, fml

[ihop]

I think someone famous and German once said "I think I spider" because there's a German phrase which translates directly to this. Also, "I'm heavy on wire" is a German expression meaning you're sharp.

[The Amazing Avian]

The way we say "literally" when we've no f***ing intention of being literal.

That s*** doesn't even make sense within our own language.

Actually, Oxford included the wrong way to use it in the dictionary as a second, informal definition, basically saying "It's okay if you're stupid and can't speak properly, you uncultured savage, we get what you mean and that's what matters"

[Aerion Brightflame]

Whilst it's not a phrase, English has the word Ucalegon. Which in Greek translates to "doesn't worry" I believe.

 

But anyway, in English it means; Neighbor whose House is on Fire. 

 

Which I think is fantastic. 

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Actually, Oxford included the wrong way to use it in the dictionary as a second, informal definition, basically saying "It's okay if you're stupid and can't speak properly, you uncultured savage, we get what you mean and that's what matters"

To be fair, that is generally how words work. There's plenty of common words nowadays, which everyone is totally okay with, that didn't exist or were something else before.

[EndUser]

Whilst it's not a phrase, English has the word Ucalegon. Which in Greek translates to "doesn't worry" I believe.

 

But anyway, in English it means; Neighbor whose House is on Fire. 

English: -Hey, Ucalegon!

Greek: -So what? Ucalegon.

 

So different, but what can be done...

 

Another phrase: Let's say someone is constantly moving while they can naturally, for example, sit on a chair. In Greek, one way to say "Why are you moving so much/Why don't you stand still?" is "Do you have worms on your ass?"

[chairman ali]

"What's the butter?" or simply "The butter?" "الزبدة؟" in Arabic is a way of saying "Give me the tl;dr version".

 

"Inform your mother" "بشر امك" is the Arabic version of "Cool story, bro".

 

"Give me face" "عطنا وجه" is the Arabic version of "Give me some attention"

 

"Turn your face" "اقلب ويهك" is the Arabic version of GTFO

[Night]

"Turn your face" "اقلب ويهك" is the Arabic version of GTFO

 

Literally read that in my mothers voice. 

[~ P O L A R I S ~]

"Inform your mother" "بشر امك" is the Arabic version of "Cool story, bro".

 

Appropriating immediately!