by Dictionary Scoop
Coming from the Indo-European language family, Danish has some funny idiomatic expressions. Some will leave you scratching your head.
For example, “reading a horse.” What’s that all about? Continue reading to learn nine Danish expressions and their meaning translated.
1–Mind the cows
When life gets a bit hard, we all need some reassurance, someone to tell us that everything will be okay and that there’s nothing to worry about.
Funny enough, the Danish language has an expression that goes ingen ko på isen, which translates to “no cow on the ice.” This is actually an abbreviation of a longer phrase which is der er ingen ko på isen, så længe rumpen er i land, that is, “there is no cow on the ice as long as the buttock is on land.”
We have never seen a cow on ice, but it’s probably not the safest place for the poor animal, is it?
2–Beat the devil
Sayings are indeed a curious thing, and their power goes without saying. That is, who wouldn’t get up early with the prospect of getting a worm? But fun as they are, they are cultural too, and according to the Danish saying, you won’t get a worm, you’ll beat the devil. Let us show you!
In Danish, you don’t simply say “Oh! You woke up rather early!” No, you say før fanden får sko på which literally translates to “you woke up before the devil put his shoes on.” If the worm wasn’t enough encouragement, outrunning the Devil will surely convince you!
3–Flies or birds?
Efficiency and creativity are praised qualities in most cultures. Who doesn’t try to maximize outcomes with minimal effort? That way, one can slå to fluer med et smæk. Can’t you guess what it means? Well, this Danish expression translates to “hit two flies with one swat.”
If the translation rings all your bells, that’s because it means the same as our saying “to kill two birds with one stone.” Resourcefulness finds its way through idioms in every language!
4–A passion for reading
Is your house full of books from ground to ceiling because you love reading? Have you got a never-ending list of books to be read? Well, in Danish, you’re læsehest: you’re reading a horse. A horse? Here’s the explanation.
We don’t know what it is about books and animals, but this phrase is the Danish equivalent of being a bookworm, that is, someone who is always reading and enjoys a good book. Are you one of those people?
5–Your bluest days
Sadness and low spirits resort to all kinds of metaphors to make it a less gloomy business than it already is. Blue has nothing to do with sadness, but that has never stopped anyone from feeling a bit down before, right?
But for the Danish, the expression takes a different turn. In that case, you don’t just feel sad or depressed, yo gået ned med flaget. And if you didn’t get that from context, the translation is: “You’ve gone down with the flag,” which ultimately means your spirits could use a lift.
6–Bite your nails
Picture someone nervous and stressed because they have a test ahead, what do they do? They usually bite their nails, right? But in the Danish language, biting or eating one’s nails has nothing to do with being nervous.
There’s one expression that goes du må have spist søm, which translates to “you must have eaten nails.” Now, without context, it can be a bit obscure, but the meaning is quite simple: It means, “no way!”
7–Sour apples? No, thanks!
Fruits are no dessert, we’ve already settled that. However, nobody can say no to a bright red juicy apple. What a disappointment when you take a bite only to discover it’s sour and mealy.
In Danish, there is an expression that perfectly describes this feeling of talking about something you don’t want to do. The phrase is bide i det sure æble and it means “to bite into the sour apple.” Who would want to do that?
8–Maximum effort
On the opposite end, there is an expression that describes that eagerness or determination to accomplish something, although its literal translation is a bit of a bloody business.
When you want to try something new and are as determined as possible, you say få blod på tanden which literally translates to “get blood on your teeth” as a metaphor for how willing you are to fight for what you want.
9–Fishy owls
Who hasn’t experienced eerie scenarios, suspicious situations, and some things “fishy.” Or, in Danish, der er ugler i mosen.
The last expression in our article is to suggest keeping an eye on or being cautious about a situation. Translated into English, it means “there are owls in the bog,” and it refers to how unusual it is to see owls in that particular place, hinting that there might be more going on than meets the eye.
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