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What weird idioms/phrases does your language have? (lemmy.blahaj.zone)

submitted 9 months ago by hungryphrog@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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In Finnish we have "kissanristiäiset" (literally means a cat's christening), which means some trivial and meaningless celebration/event.

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[-] Chetzemoka@startrek.website 6 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I almost got punched in a bar once for saying that a non-native English speaker was grinning like an idiot. Didn't occur to me he wouldn't understand the subtext on that one.

(For y'all ESL folks, it's meant to be an endearing phrase indicating a joy so strong that you can't stop yourself from smiling.)

[-] meekah@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

Wait, just so I get this right, "there's more than one way to skin a car" is also used to express joy? What?

[-] RedAggroBest@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

No they're talking about the idiom "grinning like an idiot" almost getting them punched despite being harmless to anyone with cultural context

[-] meekah@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

Oh man i don't know how I didn't get that. Thanks.

this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2023

242 points (99.6% liked)

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