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Multilingual folks: what are some odd idioms in your language(s)? (self.asklemmy)

submitted 4 months ago by alquicksilver to c/asklemmy

164 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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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[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Not quite an idiom but term of endearment: petit chou in French is little cabbage but is often used for young kids...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (3 children)

But it's about the pastry, not the disgusting vegetable. Yikes.

Calling someone "Mon Chou" is like calling them "sweetheart".

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Hey cabbage is not disgusting!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Wait really?? That makes so much more sense 🤣

I'm dying now because that's literally what I thought when my extended family says it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Sorry. Which pastry is that?

ETA: I found it: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/choux-pastry/

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

This is a great one to see first "in the wild" while studying French. The trip from "this can't possibly be what they're saying" to "that was exactly what they were saying" is a wild one.