20 Weird Nordic Sayings (Idioms & Phrases From Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland) 

In Danish I've never heard the one about the beard in the mailbox - it's the hair :)

In Finland our own phrase for " not the sharpest pencil" is " Ei ole kaikki muumit laaksossa." " they don't have all the Moomins in the valley" referring to Tove Janssons Moonvalley books.

Quick correctiom here for the one more time for Prince Knud: this actually a sentence originating from a one time event. Prince Knud was at the theater, and there was a passage he couldn’t see completly. The reason beeing that the royal section of the theater seats, is located on the far side of the balcony. The director asked Prince Knud at the end of the show, what he thought of it, he then answered that he liked it, but missed part of this particular scene. The director then ordered the actors to play that part one more time for Prince Knud. And the frace was born.

"At hyppe sine egne kartofler" is not digging them up. It's pushing up soil around the potatoes to prevent them going green. So to protect them basically.

In Norway, it's "to get your beard stuck/caught in the mailbox". So it's not necessarily getting caught, but always about finding yourself in an unwanted situation, usually because of a mistake.

Some other great Danish expresssions are: Flueknepperi, or fly fucking, it is when you are nitpicking on small irrelevant details. At slå koldt vand i blodet, or pour cold water in your blood, is a thing you would say to someone getting aggressive or angry. Basically, take a chill pill. At være ved sine fulde fem, or being at their full five. It means to be attentative, or thinking clearly, having full use of all their senses. At have rotter på loftet, or having rats in the attic is what you would call someone being acting idiotic, or a bit crazy. At have lang fingre, or having long fingers, means that a person has a tendency to steal things. At trække torsk i land, or to pull cod on to land. It means to snore very loudly. Lokummet brænder, or the shitter (toilet) is burning, is when everything is going wrong, or very close to going wrong. At slå en streg, or to hit a string, is what a male can say when he has to go and pee. Altenatvily you can also say that you have to "hælde vand fra kartoflerne", or pour water from the potatoes. And finally, at skide grønne grise, or shitting green pigs. It means to be very afraid or nervous. "I was crossing the road, and out of nowhere this car speeds by missing by inches, I almost shat green pigs I tell you!"

I am Swedish and thought to nuance one of the expressions that was brought up. We also use "born with a silver spoon in your mouth" for people who are born into financial prosperity. As for "sliding in on a shrimp sandwich" it's more about being lucky or receiving special favors.

Falling between chairs is also common in Norway.

Another Swedish one: "Du har inte alla indianer i kanoten" = "You don't have all your indians in the canoe". Same meaning as "not the sharpest knife in the drawer". I like to annoy / mess with people by combining them: "You're not the sharpest canoe in the henhouse" My favorite saying though: "Än är det ingen ko på isen" = "There's no cow on the ice yet", which means something like "don't worry, there's still time" or "there's no immediate danger"

"Det kommer til at tage en krig" (It's gonna take a war) means - it's gonna take a really long time I said this when I was in the States, and I got some looks... I can't even remember what we were talking about - I just remember the puzzled looks that I got

"Hold tungen lige i munden" = "keep the tongue straight in the mouth" is something you say when you are about to make a difficult task and you have to concentrate.

To "seat yourself between two chairs" means that you try to have two (conflicting) roles. It more resembles the English term "try to wear two hats".

The correct English idiom (and I am English) is “falling between two stools”. It’s when in trying to achieve 2 objectives you compromise and achieve neither i.e. you need to settle on one or other of 2 stools to avoided a pratfall. Falling down cracks, sounds more like just avoiding everyday pitfalls.

In Denmark we also use the phrase "Born with a silver spoon in your mouth". We say fx "han er født med en sølvske I munden"

Oh I just remembered you can wish somebody to go where the pepper grows. Jeg ønsker ham hen hvor peberet gror. So wishing somebody far far away.

5:00 You can also have a fox behind your ear - "En räv bakom örat" in Swedish. Which means to be unpredictable and cunning.

Here are a few danish idioms/sayings that are commonly used 😊 When people say “det er først til mølle” it comes from the saying “den der kommer først til mølle får først malet mel” (he who gets to the mill first also gets his flour first) So if someone says “I have a couple of free tickets to this movie if anyone is interested, det er først til mølle” it just means that whoever says yes first gets the tickets. Kind of like early bird gets the worm. “Nød lærer nøgen kvinde at spinde” (necessity teaches a naked woman to spin (yarn)) which is self explanatory 😊 “Brændt barn skyr ilden” (burned child avoids fire) means that people learn from past experience(s) to avoid something bad/unpleasant. “Blind høne finder også korn” or “Selv en blind høne kan finde et korn” (even a blind chicken can find a grain) Can be friendly heckling or a not so friendly comment. It means that even someone dull can occasionally have a bright idea, or someone incapable/useless can sometimes succeed/be useful etc. “Hvis du ikke kan life lugten I bageriet…” (if you dislike the smell in the bakery…) means if you don’t like it here then leave! Very direct and not very nice, but sometimes necessary 😅 Another similar, but often used about one self is “Skik følge eller land fly” (follow traditions or leave the country) pretty much means that you have to adapt to the environment/setting you are in, or leave if that’s not possible. If you for instance have to try something that Danes do/like that seems unpleasant to you, you can say “well, skik følge eller land fly” before you do it, to show that you are embracing your new country/culture even if it means tasting salty licorice 😜 That reminds me that I once read, that of all the European emigrants that arrived in the US around 120-80 years ago and settled as immigrants, the Danes were the ones that were best at integrating 😊 I think this attitude also plays a part in Danes often being accused of being “racist” or “xenophobic” Danes are not very (as in not at all) tolerant of people who behaves entitled or wants to change things (here) that we consider important to us or even part of our national identity. Then this “if you don’t like the smell in the bakery…” attitude comes forth 😅 However, if people come here with humbleness and a genuine desire to embrace us Danes, our culture, language and at least accept our traditions and values, then I feel, we as a people generally are a very friendly, easygoing and accepting bunch ☺️ In other words, if you move here, you don’t have to celebrate Christmas if you don’t want to, that’s your business, but don’t you dare criticize or complain about our Christmas lights and decorations everywhere 😂😂

One I like is "Mosekonen brygger." As in the "Bogwife is brewing." Means that it is becoming foggy. Also a good slang for late at night. "Klokken lort om natten." / "Shit O' clock at night."

More common in Sweden than not having all hens not home roosting is the phrase "not having all horses home" (inte ha alla hästar hemma) or "having gnomes in the attic" (ha tomtar på loftet).

We do have one saying with chicken: "1 feather are becoming to 5 chickens" (1 fjer bliver til 5 høns) It means that a rumor can develop very quickly as it is told from person to person The frase is based on a fairytale from Hans Christian Andersen

In Finland we do not write behind the ear, but we are putting it behind the ear. And speaking of the goat: Pukki kaalimaan vartijana = a goat guarding a cabbage patch (fox guarding the hen house)

“Empty barrels rumbels the most”, “small dogs barks loudest” was two sayings l came to think about.

I like “Goddag mand, økseskaft” (good day man axe handle/shaft) something you can say when people talk about different things but think they are talking about the same 😅

You should definitly do a part 2 of this. So many idioms to choose from.

The best say I've ever heard is from Finland: "Wish in your left hand and sh*t in your right hand and see what hand fills up first." Meaning that action allways gives more results than wishes, even though the outcome (lol) may not allways be the preferred.

'Shooting flies with a cannon' - in Denmark we actually shoot house sparrows (directly translated). Same expression :) Lots of similar expressions in the Nordic just different ways of saying them.

As a Norwegian I probably shouldn't comment on the Icelandic saying, being in danger of making a fool of myself. But "I ser de i fjørå (Eg ser deg i fjøra)" would make sense in the dialect I grew up with. I think the more correct translation would be shore, not beach. We basically the word for where the boats were pulled ashore. While technically the beach would fall in the category of where the sea meets the land, no one in the right mind would call all the places we called "fjøra" by the word beach (we would use "strand" for that). The saying I wouldn't be surprised if it came from "We'll settle this ashore" eg. when we get off the boat, or as you said "I know where you live" eg. I know where you pull your boat up/I know where you park your car. Also I've never heard the saying "Bæsje i skuffen", but we'd use something that's basically the same "Drite på drage(t)."

The frace "I meet you at the beach" Came from thats where the boats cames in. So thats gave some point.

A funny phrase from Jutland that resembles not being “the sharpest knife” is: “He’s not the quickest moped on the harbor”. 😄

Great video, as usual Guys!

På dansk er det ikke fluer som skydes med kanoner men gråspurve. "Shooting sparrows with cannons". :D

Again a very nice video 🎉🎉🎉🎉 "En gang til for prins knud" you're background was wrong, the fraise comes from this: arveprins Knud, was in the theatre, he loved going there, but he was in the royal seats, and some of the stage he couldn't see, and one of the scenes, he therefore couldn't see, so when the director asked him about the play, he was happy, but sad he couldn't see that scene, so after everyone left, the director ask the actors to perform this scene again for him. So they did. The next day, the newspapers made fun of him with the fraise one more time for prins Knud. That stuck to him.

We have a danish version of shooting flies with a cannon. To shoot house sparrows with cannons (At skyde gråspurve med kanoner)

I Danmark er der noget, der hedder "fejl 40", 40 cm fra computerskærmen .😅

These sayings are fun and we have a multitude of them! ***************** svesken på disken - prunes on the counter = put the facts on the table OR the crasser version, 'lorten på bordet' sove som en sten - sleep like a stone = sleep heavily & soundly hello from Hundested 🌸

"At hælde vand ud af ørerne" - I think you got this one a little bit wrong. It's not trash talking. It refers to someone who feels very sorry for him/herself and just can't stop talking about it.

You can have a "Kæp i øret" A large stick in the ear = to be drunk. But you can also "have en lille fjer på" - have a little feather on/Wearing a little feather = being a little tipsy. If you "Har en ordentlig bjørn på" = Have a great bear on /wearing a big bear - you are VERY drunk, and probably won't remember anything the day after

Similar to having not all the hens at home we also say in Sweden that the elevator doesn't reach all the way to the top. Kinda means the same thing.

In the swedish language the "You can make cabbage of something" does also exist, but it's more "take cabbage on you", which is "ta kål på dig"

En gang til for prins Knud is also that he I think was watching a ballet or a play but fell asleep/missed a big part of it, so they put on the show again so he could watch it propperly, and therefor the saying, when someone has to have something repeated to them/shown to them again.

Regarding "shooting flies with a cannon", this has a variant in Danish as "skyde gråspurve med kanoner". It also exists in English (particularly used in casual speech or writing among mathematicians, AFAIK) as "a nuclear flyswatter", e.g. "This may be a bit of a nuclear flyswatter, but you _could_ argue that by Fermat's Last Theorem blah blah blah", concluding something relatively trivial using something vastly more general or complicated - usually unnecessarily so.

Another specifically Finnish saying is "Ei mennyt niin kuin Strömsössä" "It didn't work out like in Strömsö". Strömsö is a lifestyle program in Swedish created by Finlands Swedish TV channel. As all TV is subtitled here, it has become popular all over. The saying is in Finnish and means that your cookies, craft project or gardening didn't go so well. The only time I've heard it in Swedish is when the crafts presenter said in the show about one of her own creations😂.

The prawn sandwich is not as much about nepotism as about luck. When you get an offer for something you wouldn't technically be qualified for or happen to get a fun switch, that's typically when you would use it. Surely it can be used negatively about someone else, but the expression implies some kind of surprise.

FInnish: To be/feel pissed (at something or because of something) like a small squirrel (bc the cone is frozen).

As a Dane I'm kinda sad that two of my favourite idioms/phrases aren't here. They practically mean the same thing. "Ude på Lars Tyndskids mark(er)" Out on Lars Thinshits field(s) and "Hvor kragerne vender" Where the crows turn. Both essentially mean that you're just far out in the country side, not too abnormally the places where any type of GPS becomes not entirely reliable.

"Caught with your pants down" is what we use most of the time in jytland. I've maybe heard the other idiom 2-3 times over here :D I enjoy watching the videos you guys post.

"En gang til for prins Knud". The origin of this one is fading out of people's memory. Originally it came from a theatre show, some "Moulin Rouge" style lightly dressed girls show. Prince Knud arrived late and thus did only see the last part of it, he asked if they could run the show once more, so he could see it in its entirety. Rumors converted into that Knud had a soft spot for naked ladies, thus wanting to see the show more times. The rumor got an even worse turn, when the law was changed, as Knud was first in line to be the next King of Denmark. But, the law was changed so that women could inherit the title as well, thus Margrete became the Queen Regent. Here the rumor got turned into mocking Knud for being stupid. This is sad, as Knud was not stupid, just average like most people. And the loss of the crown was not his fault, thus unfair to blame him.

You two GUYS are soooo adoreable. I just LOOOOVE your loving vision on DENMARK. You have such a warm relation with our country. You have really adopter being Danish. Its so admireable. I Watch all your videos. ( this is MY daugthers page) kisses from Susanne, also in DENMARK

The Icelandic word is not "pig" but "þig" (þ is the onvoiced th sound, as in think) While the Finnsh shoot flies with a cannon, Norwegians have slioghtly bigger targets: sparrown (much more fun, but messier) (mentioned in other comments.) Not all hens are home: English - The lights are on but vthere's nobody home. GOAT first appeasredd in Spetember 1992 by Mohammad Ali. Gå i ged is probably quite a bit older, hence the obvious difference in meaning. The origin of "å gjøre kål på" is rather less violent than you think. It's acontraction of "to boiul cabbage soup on something". making sure all the leftovers are eaten you'll finally add them to a cabbage soup to finish it off. In Norwegian you can "boil soup on a nail" (koke suppe på en spiker) ့ but that means "beef something up", tell a tall tale, exaggerate beyond belief.

Hi, still love your videos! :D Goats: Dont forget the “gummiged” ( Wheel loader) ;)

We have several versions of “Ikke den skarpeste kniv i skuffen” eg “ikke den hurtigste knallert på havnen”, “ikke det højeste strå på marken” Also an old saying (when record players still were normal in every household) - “er du vaccineret med en grammafonstift?” (Are you vaccinated with a recordplayer-needle/pin (not sure about the translation😬)) meaning that you talk a lot

We say fell between two chairs in Norway as well.

In German you also write something behind your ear, but this is rather a warning than just a note to myself. Write this behind your ears before you come here again!

Fun video 🤗

I don't know if they're nordic, but some I use often are "han/hun kan sælge sand i Sahara" - "he/she can sell sand in Sahara" - meaning to be really good at selling something, often not something in abundance and/or not in demand. "bo i en kuffert" - "live in a suitcase" - meaning you move a lot "klokke i det" - "bell in it" - meaning to mess up/screw up. "at se giraffen" - "to see the giraffe" - meaning to see someone famous or often spoken about, eg. when someone speak a lot about their new boyfriend/girlfriend and you haven't met them, you can say "when can we see the giraffe?" "at se noget i øjnene" - "to see something in the eyes" - meaning to acknowledge or realize something.

In Denmark we say “skyde gråspurve med kanoner” meaning “shooting house sparrows with canons” so it means that someone use stronger means than necessary.

I'm Norwegian and have never heard about pooped in the drawer. But we use du har drete på leggen/draget "now you have pooped on your calf" It also means you have screwed up. Norwegians also use something fell between two chairs.

Another favourite Swedish idiom of mine is he or she is "lite bakom flötet" literally "a little behind the float (on the fishing rod)" meaning he or she is not the shapest knife in the box.

The Danish pharase: "To have a stick in the ear", is mostly used, when pointing out that the person in mention is/was quite drunk.

Interesting video :) In Finland we also say that I have a hen to pluck with you "kana kynittävänä sinun kanssasi". Other chicken-related ones: 1) "Katkesi kuin kanan lento" = cut off like a chicken's flight which means that something didn't get very far and came to a screeching halt. 2) "Olla kukkona tunkiolla" = to be as a cock on a dungheap = to be pompous, think they're running the place. 3) "Juosta kuin päätön kana" = run around like a headless chicken We also say that someone was born with a golden spoon in their mouth. Other spoon-related 1) "heittää lusikka nurkkaan" = to throw a spoon in the corner = to die 2) "kun on lusikalla annettu ei voi kauhalla vaatia" = what was given with a spoon can't be demanded with a ladle (hard to translate) means that someone's dumb or inept.

I was just looking up what are the hardest words / names of things in Danish to pronounce and I found these phrases amoungst many that were listed! : Rødovre & Hvidovre Rødgrød med fløde. When I googled each one and then clicked on the microphone, I could not believe how those words were pronounced! Wow, how would you ever guess how to say each of the four? Many words are spelled nothing like how they are said. 😊 I have a newly-found respect for you learning that language, I have to say. 😊

In addition to "hyppe sine egne kartofler", one can also "mele sin egen kage". Flour one's own cake. (The only context where I have seen the verb at mele, to flour.) In addition to shooting house sparrows with canons, you can also "gøre en myg til en elefant". Make a mosquitto into an elefant. BTW, I hope you did not have to swallow too many camels moving to Denmark.

In Denmark, I have grown up with the version of the phrase, "være født med en guldske i munden". And we do have the version "håret i postkassen". Regarding the chairs, I first met the phrase after seeing the Disney Channel Original movie, "Go Figure" where a Russian-American actress at that time says: ".... the one who sit between two chairs, may fall down easily" "Skrive noget *bag* øret".... "en kæp i øret" I think we use the phrase "at male fanden på væggen" "shapest tool in the box"? We have something similar in Danish too. "Ikke den skarpeste kniv i skuffen". Andre varianter kan være: "der er ikke blus på alle kogeplader" eller "lys i huset, men ingen hjemme"

Thanks again for sharing

Good ones you've picked out (y) Here's a few danish ones you can look into: "Der er ingen ko på isen" - "There's no cow on the ice" "Det er agurketid" - "It's cucumber time" "At samle til bunke" - "To collect for a pile" "Der, hvor kragerne vender" - "Where the crows are turning" "Det er ude på Larstyndskids mark" - "It's in the field of Lars with diarrhea" "Det ligger i langbortistan" - "It's in far-away-istan" "Glad i låget" - "Happy in the lid" "At være udenfor pædagogisk rækkevidde" - "The be out of reach of pedagogy" "At være helt ude at skide" / "At være på skideren" / "At være på spanden" ... you look these ones up yourselves ;)

Jeg går tilbage på min pind “i am going back on my stick” its when you go back to where you allways sit.

"At kende sine lus på gangen" is my favorite idiom. It should translated as "knowing your head lice by the gait" and means that you know someone so well, that you can predict their actions. Like "how did you know it was me?" -"I know my head lice by the gait". In modern Danish, "gangen" more often means "the hallway", thus making the translation "knowing your head lice in the hallway/corridor". As a kid I genuinely thought this was the case. I understood the meaning, but had a picture in my mind of an office corridor full of head lice and someone being the boss of the company knowing each and every louse.

I don’t know the one about falling between two chairs, but you can sit between two chairs (sidde mellem 2 stole) which mean to be in a situation where you have to make a decision or make up your mind but haven’t yet done so. Maybe similar to being on the fence about something 😊

In Sweden we specify the blue cabinet. (Att skita i det blå skåpet. To have a bowl movment in the blue locker/cabinet/cupboard.)

A swedish saying that even I don't understand is that something can "sell like butter in sunshine ".

“At gøre kål på …” usually means to finish something. So for example when you eat all the leftovers from the day before you could say: “så fik vi gjort kål på det”

'Å bæsja i skuffen' is an infinitive, ie: to poop in the drawer.

We have shooting fleste with a canyon too in Denmark, however it's sparrows here. At skyde gråspurve med kanoner

Ingen ko på isen - no need to be concerned (yet) (Swedish) Ta kål på - finish,kill, end Mycket skrik och lite ull (sa kärringen som klippte grisen) - much ado about nothing, lots of messy work w little to show for it Fyllekaja - drunk as a skunk Inte illa pinkat (av en trähäst) - unexpectedly well-done, grudging praise to someone you didn’t this from

Can you make a video on superstitions, like not going under ladders, but some specific 🇩🇰 ones? And maybe one with the deferences in wolds like if you say taske in danish it means something very deferent in Sweden.

I had to make fun of a friend because we where both sounding super stupid, and i said "she's not the sharpest spoon in the cabinet" she understood it immediately and laughed so much and it took my partner a little to understand i had said all of it on purpose haha! I also butchered the phrase "du gør dem en bjørnetjæneste" and i said "du gør dem en bjørneklo", and i just had to embrace it and go with it haha! I have had a lot of "word salad" where i cannot find the correct words for a sentence so i kinda had to just accept the weird phrases i made and now they are just something we use at home!

One more time for prins Knud can also be used when failing at something trivial.

Also in Norway we say falling between two chairs

Omg. Just noticed you have props. Omg. You GUYS are GENOIUS 😎😎😎😍😍😍😍😍♥️❤️💓💘

'En pind i øret', I have never heard, but if you have a 'kæp (pole) i øret', you're drunk.

In Danish we have the frase 'shooting birds with cannons'. Means the same as the Finnish.

My favorite Swedish idioms are "no cow on the ice" which means that there are no problems, and "now you have shitted in the blue cupboard" which means that you have f*cked up or gone too far.

I like you two guys. Please upload tomorrow or just every day

Is "between the cracks" and "between two chairs" really the same? "Between two chairs" also indicate that Chair A has responsibility X and Chair B has responsibility Y and now there is some new responsibility that could be done by both, which in reality means that it will be done by neither (fall between the chairs), unless we talk about it.

making cabbage of someone/something : ta kål på is something we say in Swedish too

In nNorwegian it is "Skyte spurv med kanon" As in shooting sparrows with a cannon.

The fastes Scooter on the pier = Sharpest knife in the drawer

You guys are the nicest, and yes we have many crazy sayings :) In Denmark we say shooting Grey sparrows with cannons. (not flies) Making more fuzz of the problem than it really is.

you were talking about the goat relateret idioms "så er den ged barberet" - "that is the gaot shaved" meaning the problem is solved

Pooped in the drawer ("really done it this time") is sometimes said Shit in the blue cupboard in Swe.

Norwegian: "Å drite på draget" English: "To shit on the drag" Meaning: To really mess up in a big way. Etymology: Old timey sailing ships did not have any toilet facilities. When it was time to defecate, you had to do it straigth into the ocean, whilst sitting on a rope called the drag, as many ropes on sailing ships had specific names. Now if you accidentally hit the drag with your own feces, you would have messed up in a big way, since other people will also need to use that rope. Norwegians are fond of alliteration, so the expression is still in use, even if the practice has long since died out.

At hælde vand ud af ørene = pooring water out of the ears. Is used to explain that a person complains excessively. Not necessarily "gossip about others". But more an excruciating lot of regrets. Which of course also can accommodate gossip in order to perhaps abdicate oneself from responsibility for one's "sufferings".

@Robetrotting: A correction related to the saying “En gang til for prins Knud”. The reason for this saying is, that prince Knud and his wife were in the theatre one time, and afterwards they were asked by the theatre director about their opinion on a very controversial scene in the show. He told the director that they unfortunately couldn’t see the scene from where they sat. Therefore the director made the actors do that specific scene again only for the prince and his wife and a journalist. This resulted in a newspaper article, and the following year this story was used in a joking song about him being “a bit slow”…. the song was a big hit and the saying comes from that song! And that’s what the meaning is today Men skuffet måtte han høre Knuds kone, Caroline Mathilde, konstatere, at de slet ikke havde set scenen, da den primært foregik i den side af scenen, som man ikke kunne se fra kongelogen. Så Blicher-Hansen kommanderede ensemblet til at spille scenen igen, kun for prinseparret og BT-journalisten Arne Myggen Hansen. Og den artikel må Birgitte Reimer have læst, for året efter blev den altså grundlag for den berømte vise, som gik på episoden og på den udbredte opfattelse, at Knud var en lille smule langsom i opfattelsen. Den opfattelse hænger ved, for i dag tager vi den stadig ”en gang til for Prins Knud”,

Denmark has the knife thing too. "Ikke den skarpeste kniv i skuffen." I will never forget an american friends reaction, when I used the Idiom "Its like peing your pants" She looked at me real funny, so I explained "Its warm for a minute and then you are colder than before." Which just got a pause and a long drawn out "okay...." She definitely thought I was talking from personal experience, I think she was from a warm state. I had to explain then, but I am pretty sure I have heard it used in english before. Though it is an idiom, I think maybe any child having grown up in a cold place, would somewhat instinctly understand it in context? And I have seen the dilemma quite literally be used in movies , so maybe you get it from media too?

7.50- you'r digging up potatoes .. no- at hyppe sine kartofler means : you have to keep the weed down around the potatoes. so you make a little 8 cm wall of dirt around to cover the potatoes from sunlight- and thereby also remowing the weed.. thats the meaning of- hyppe but in this expression it means that you are keeping most focus of your one benefits..

"not the sharpest knife in the drawer" He didn't invent the deep plate"

To throw a goat's eye means to take a quick look at something. After you realise everything's good, you might announce that there is "no cow on the ice" (ingen ko på isen). Or if you realise that what you threw the goat's eye on was useless you could say "it's nothing to hang in the Christmas tree" (inget att hänga julgranen).

Im impressed! Other sayings; "Ingen ko på isen".. dont worry! "Det står som spön i backen".. it rains cats and dogs. Det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder.. there is no bad weather, only bad clothings, thats not that much a saying, its a fact if one live in Nordic countries!

In Finland if you're "not the sharpest tool in the box" you'd say "Ei ole kaikki muumit laaksossa = You don't have all the Moomin trolls in the valley" or "ei ole kaikki inkkarit kanootissa = ..not all the indians in the canoe"

Cool list 😅 Fwiw; in Romanian we say "ai făcut-o de capră" literally "you did it of goat", means "you really screwed up", and we have one with cabbage, meaning the same thing 😂