Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Idioms of The World
Idioms of The World
Idioms of The World
Al draagt een aap een gouden ring, het is en blijft een lelijk ding. (Dutch)
Even if the monkey wears a golden ring, it remains an ugly thing.
On ne peut faire d'une buse un épervier. (French)
You can't turn a buzzard / a dolt into a sparrowhawk.
Fare le nozze coi fichi secchi. (Italian)
To do a wedding with dried figs.
I w Paryżu nie zrobią z owsa ryżu. (Polish)
Even in Paris they will not change oat for rice.
Рожденный ползать летать не может. (Rozhdennyj polzat letat ne mozhet.) (Russian)
If you’re born to crawl, you can’t fly.
Opica zostane opicou, hoci by si na nu zlatú retaz povesil. (Slovak)
Monkey remains monkey even if you hang a golden kettle around its neck.
Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona es y mona se queda. (Spanish)
Although the monkey-girl wears silk clothes, she is a monkey and remains a monkey.
Corbul în zadar se spală, că negreaţa nu şi-o pierde. (Romanian)
A crow is never the whiter for washing herself often.
A SANDWICH SHORT OF A PICNIC
Seul mui à vugulion a vez, e vez falloc'h gouarnet ar saout. (Breton, France)
The more cowherds there are, the worse the cows are looked after.
Puno baba, kilavo dijete. (Croatian)
Many midwives, child will be lazy.
Veel varkens maken de spoeling dun. (Dutch)
Many pigs make the slops sparse.
shvidi dzidzis xelshi bavshvi daikarga. (Georgian)
A child, looked after by seven nannies is lost.
Zu viele Köche verderben den Brei. (German)
Too many cooks ruin the broth.
Opou laloun polla kokoria, argei na xhmerwsei. (Greek)
Where there are too many roosters singing the dawn comes late.
Troppi galli a cantare non fa mai giorno. (Italian)
Too many cocks singing it is never going to dawn.
Tarp dviejų auklių vaikas be galvos. (Lithuanian)
Between two nannies a child leaves without his head.
Gdzie kucharek sześć, tam nie ma co jeść. (Polish)
Six cooks and nothing to eat.
У семи нянек дитя без глазу. (U semi nyanek dyetya byez glaza.) (Russian)
A child, looked after by seven nannies is without one eye.
Horozun çok olduğu yerde sabah geç olur. (Turkish)
Where there are too many roosters, dawn comes late.
Muchas manos en un plato, hacen mucho garabato. (Spanish)
Many hands on a plate draw many doodles.
Copilul cu multe moaşe rămâne cu buricul netăiat. (Romanian)
The child who has many midwives ends with his umbilical cord uncut.
На крива ракета космосът й пречи. (Na kriva raketa kosmosat i prechi.) (Bulgarian)
An awry/bad rocket blames the space.
Wenn der Bauer nicht schwimmen kann, liegt es an der Badehose. (German)
If the farmer can't swim, it's due to his swimming trunks.
ननन नन नननन नननन नननन. (Naach na jaane anagan thedha.) (Hindi)
One who knows no dance claims that the stage is tilted.
Zlej baletnicy przeszkadza rabek u spódnicy. (Polish)
A poor dancer will be disturbed even by the hem of her skirt.
Plokhomoo tantsoroo i nogi meshayut. (Russian)
A bad dancer's legs get into his way.
El mal escribano le echa la culpa a la pluma. (Spanish)
The poor writer blames the pen.
El cojo le echa la culpa al empedrado. (Spanish)
The limping man blames the pavement.
Kalio ena kai sto cheri para dyo kai karteri (Greek)
It's better to have one in your hand than wait for two
Подобро врапче во рака отколку гулаб на гранка. (Podobro vrapce vo raka otkolku
gulab na granka. (Macedonian)
Better sparrow in hand than dove on the branch.
Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l’auras (French)
I give you one now is better than I will give you two later