this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2024
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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."

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[–] HappyRedditRefugee@lemm.ee 16 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (4 children)

Spanish, but only from my region:

"You are worth dick": You are worth nothing

"You are not worth dick": You are worth nothing

So basically to be worth dick and not be worth dick is the same.

We also have some variation like

"You are [not] worth three trip strips of cock": same meaning.

A bonus, not related to genitalia:

"Go get your hair brushed by a donkey": Stop pestering / go fuck yourself.

[–] Skyhighatrist@lemmy.ca 4 points 8 months ago

As an English speaker I would naturally interpret "You are worth dick" and "you are not worth dick" in the same way.

[–] lvxferre@mander.xyz 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Central America? Those kind of "click" for me if I retranslate them to Spanish with verga.

The "basic" insult also works in Portuguese with "caralho":

  • vale um caralho (worth a dick) = worth nothing
  • não vale um caralho (not worth a dick) = worth nothing

“Go get your hair brushed by a donkey”: Stop pestering / go fuck yourself.

This sound hilarious. How is it phrased in the original? "Anda que un burro vos cepille el pelo" or something like that?

[–] HappyRedditRefugee@lemm.ee 2 points 8 months ago

South america!

I didn't know that also works in Portugese!

The original is: "Vaya a que lo peine un burro". Bit of a hard translation and also is always formal (usted).

[–] alquicksilver@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

I think it's hilarious how often different languages use genitalia in their idioms. These feel like they'd work really well, even in English.

[–] emmanuel_car@kbin.social 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Oooh as a non native speaker, these are fun! Are the first two something like no vales polla or no vales ni polla?

[–] HappyRedditRefugee@lemm.ee 1 points 8 months ago

Quite close! But we use another word, polla is mainly use in spain.

"[No] vales [ni] [tres tiras de] verga/mondá"

But if you use ni you necesarly need the no at the begining of the sentence.

Mondá is a slang word, very regional. Is also a bit more agressive.