Post by Nordis on Jul 3, 2009 0:51:03 GMT 2
I received this list as an e-mail from a irish-finnish lady. It has been written by his son who translated finnish sayings to english literally ;D There's also some english sayings translated to finnish, but I'm too lazy to clean the list from them.
Idiot idioms and foolish phrases
Finnish: älä nuolaise ennen kuin tipahtaa
Wrong English: do not lick it before it falls off
Right English: don’t count your chickens before they hatch
English: it’s raining cats and dogs
Wrong Finnish: sataa kissoja ja koiria
Right Finnish: sataa kaatamalla
Finnish: tehdä kärpäsestä härkänen
Wrong English: make a bullock out of a fly
Right English: make a mountain out of a molehill
English: like two peas in a pod
Wrong Finnish: kuin kaksi hernettä herneenpalkossa
Right Finnish: kuin kaksi marjaa
Finnish: olen ihan P.A.
Wrong English: my arse is really open
Right English: I’m broke
English: don’t beat around the bush
Translation: puskan ympärillä ei saa hakata
Right Finnish: mene suoraan asiaan
Finnish: pitää peukkua
Wrong English: hold your thumb
Right English: fingers crossed
Finnish: rysän päältä
Wrong English: off the hoop net
Right English: red-handed
Finnish: parempi pyy pivossa kuin kaksi oksalla
Wrong English: it’s better to have a partridge in the hand than two on a branch
Right English: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Finnish: olen ihan päissään
Wrong English: I’m very in my heads
Right English: I’m pissed out of my head
Finnish: helppo nakki
Wrong English: easy sausage
Right English: piece of cake
English: it cost me an arm and a leg
Wrong Finnish: se maksoi minulle käden ja jalan
Right Finnish: se maksoi omaisuuden
English: I’m pulling your leg
Translation: vedän sinua jalasta
Right Finnish: vedän sinua nenästä
Finnish: moni kakku päältä kaunis
Wrong English: many cakes look good on the outside
Right English: don’t judge the book by the cover
English: back to the drawing board
Wrong Finnish: takaisin piirustuslautaan
Right Finnish: pistetäänpä uusiksi
English: it’s not my cup of tea
Wrong Finnish: se ei ole minun teekuppi
Finnish: se ei ole minun juttu
Finnish: potkaista tyhjää
Wrong English: kicking nothing at all
English: kick the bucket
Finnish: sano muikku
Wrong English: say vendace
Right English: say cheese
Finnish: ottaa lusikka kauniiseen käteen
Wrong English: take a spoon in the beautiful hand
Right English: swallow your pride
Finnish: haukuin hänet pystyyn
Wrong English: I barked until he was erect
Right English: I gave him a piece of my mind
Finnish: onpa sinulla otsaa!
Wrong English: what a forehead you have!
Right English: you’ve got a nerve!
Idiot idioms and foolish phrases
Finnish: älä nuolaise ennen kuin tipahtaa
Wrong English: do not lick it before it falls off
Right English: don’t count your chickens before they hatch
English: it’s raining cats and dogs
Wrong Finnish: sataa kissoja ja koiria
Right Finnish: sataa kaatamalla
Finnish: tehdä kärpäsestä härkänen
Wrong English: make a bullock out of a fly
Right English: make a mountain out of a molehill
English: like two peas in a pod
Wrong Finnish: kuin kaksi hernettä herneenpalkossa
Right Finnish: kuin kaksi marjaa
Finnish: olen ihan P.A.
Wrong English: my arse is really open
Right English: I’m broke
English: don’t beat around the bush
Translation: puskan ympärillä ei saa hakata
Right Finnish: mene suoraan asiaan
Finnish: pitää peukkua
Wrong English: hold your thumb
Right English: fingers crossed
Finnish: rysän päältä
Wrong English: off the hoop net
Right English: red-handed
Finnish: parempi pyy pivossa kuin kaksi oksalla
Wrong English: it’s better to have a partridge in the hand than two on a branch
Right English: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Finnish: olen ihan päissään
Wrong English: I’m very in my heads
Right English: I’m pissed out of my head
Finnish: helppo nakki
Wrong English: easy sausage
Right English: piece of cake
English: it cost me an arm and a leg
Wrong Finnish: se maksoi minulle käden ja jalan
Right Finnish: se maksoi omaisuuden
English: I’m pulling your leg
Translation: vedän sinua jalasta
Right Finnish: vedän sinua nenästä
Finnish: moni kakku päältä kaunis
Wrong English: many cakes look good on the outside
Right English: don’t judge the book by the cover
English: back to the drawing board
Wrong Finnish: takaisin piirustuslautaan
Right Finnish: pistetäänpä uusiksi
English: it’s not my cup of tea
Wrong Finnish: se ei ole minun teekuppi
Finnish: se ei ole minun juttu
Finnish: potkaista tyhjää
Wrong English: kicking nothing at all
English: kick the bucket
Finnish: sano muikku
Wrong English: say vendace
Right English: say cheese
Finnish: ottaa lusikka kauniiseen käteen
Wrong English: take a spoon in the beautiful hand
Right English: swallow your pride
Finnish: haukuin hänet pystyyn
Wrong English: I barked until he was erect
Right English: I gave him a piece of my mind
Finnish: onpa sinulla otsaa!
Wrong English: what a forehead you have!
Right English: you’ve got a nerve!