While chatting with a friend the other day, our conversation meandered its way to the subject of idioms. Specifically, how it’s virtually impossible to literally translate idioms into different languages and have any hope of conveying the original meaning. When learning a new language, slang and idioms are generally things that you pick up along the way once the linguistic puzzle pieces start fitting together snugly in your brain.

But since it’s Friday and I scarcely have time to become multilingual before the weekend commences, I decided to explore how different figures of speech change and shift in different languages. So for fun, take a gander at this sampler platter of select idioms and how their meanings translate in other languages and cultures.

Raining Cats and Dogs (via Omniglot)
Polish: It’s raining frogs from a wooden bucket
Spanish: It’s even raining husbands
Welsh: It’s raining old ladies and sticks
Greek: It’s raining chair legs

Kill Two Birds with One Stone (via WordReference Forums)
Russian: Kill two hares in one shot
Polish: Roast two roasts with the same fire
Serbian: Kill two flies in one slap
Jamaican Creole: Stab the goat and the sheep with the same knife

Get Hitched (via NPR)
Japanese: Solidify one’s body
Spanish: Hang oneself

Live the Life of Riley (via BoingBoing)
German: Live like a maggot in bacon
French: Break wind into silk

Unfortunately, “look a gift horse in the mouth” was nowhere to be found on my search. If anyone knows its idiomatic translation or any other fun ones, do share below. I’d be pleased as punch to learn them!

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