this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2026
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[–] TwoTiredMice@feddit.dk 20 points 1 day ago (2 children)

The worst part for me is mixing sayings and the construction of sentences. I've never been that good at English grammar, but after using English more and more, my grammar in my native language have gotten worse. I'm half way in a sentence, in my native language, before I notice I've started on an English saying, but directly translated to my native language and it makes no sense. But, there's no cow on the ice, as you say, because my wife and I are like pots and pans, as you also say; we are the same way.

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 4 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

"Like pots and pans" would best be translated into English as "like peas in a pod," but "no cow on the ice" has nothing similar I can think of and would need a totally different idiom.

[–] TwoTiredMice@feddit.dk 2 points 10 hours ago

Yes, you're right and to my knowledge there isn't anything similar to the "no cow on the ice" in the English language.

Well, Wiktionary translated it to "the coast is clear".

Originally it was "No cow on the ice, as long as its butt is on dry land".

My issue is that I would often start on something like "like peas in a pod" but directly translated Danish, which wouldn't be something people would say.

[–] ThunderclapSasquatch@startrek.website 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm going to guess Swedish on the cow one, or at least Scandinavian, it sounds like something I'd hear out of the northern Midwest about things not being chaotic

[–] VonReposti@feddit.dk 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Definitely Danish, it's a very common saying around here. Basically means that there's no problem.

[–] Jumi@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

But we can agree that their English is not the yellow from the egg. You could almost say it's Bohemian villages for them. If it gets a bit more worse I'd only understand train station.

[–] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

What do those idioms mean? I can't figure it out from the context.

[–] Jumi@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago

Those are German ones

[–] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago

I'm really glad I read the context because this comment smells like toast