SOMETIMES LOGIC DEPENDS ON THE OBSERVER

Careful! These 12 words don’t really mean what everybody thinks

Image: Thiébaud Faix

Many expressions and terms from foreign languages lose their essence in translation when uttered or written in English. Language is not merely a tool for communication; it encapsulates cultural nuances and unique experiences.

Join us as we dive into the intricacies of linguistic diversity, revealing the beauty and subtlety that can be lost when these foreign gems are transposed into the English lexicon.

Image: Jay Wennington

In the American culinary context, Entrée commonly refers to the main course of a meal. However, the true essence of the word in French translates to "entrance" or "entry," which refers to a first course or an appetizer.

English speakers may unknowingly miss the nuanced French understanding, but French tourists in America are probably already well aware of this situation before ordering food.

Image: Lance Lozano

Keeping on with the French language exploration, we come across the term En Masse, which, in its original language, means "in a mass". While English speakers commonly understand it as a collective gathering or action, the original French expression goes beyond mere numerical quantity, implying a unified, synchronized movement, emphasizing harmony and cohesion within a group.

Lost in translation, this nuance of orchestrated unity is often overshadowed by a simplistic focus on numbers when suggested by its English counterpart.

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Originally an abbreviation for Fliegerabwehrkanone, meaning "aircraft defense cannon" in German, "Flak" in English has been repurposed to signify criticism or disapproval, particularly in informal contexts.

The shift from a military, technical term to a colloquial expression alters its essence, losing the gravity and historical context embedded in its German roots. This transformation not only obscures the connection to anti-aircraft weaponry but also dilutes the term's inherent seriousness, giving it a lighter meaning.

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When we take a deeper look into the linguistic intricacies between Japanese and English, we unravel the essence of the term sayonara and the nuances that evade an exact translation.

While commonly interpreted as a simple farewell, "sayonara" in Japanese carries a weight of finality and a sense of parting that transcends the casual connotations of the English "goodbye." Rooted in cultural context, this term signifies a more permanent departure, often linked to deep emotions or farewells of a more profound nature.

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Élan is definitely not the most used French word amongst English speakers, but it does pop up occasionally in conversation. It makes this list because, while commonly translated as "enthusiasm" or "momentum" in English, élan in French encapsulates a more profound sense of spirited energy and impetus.

The original term carries a connotation of a dynamic force, an internal drive that propels action with ardor. Lost in translation, the subtleties of this emotional fervor are often diluted. "Élan" embodies a spirited passion, an inner zeal that goes beyond mere enthusiasm, and its unique cultural resonance can be overlooked when expressed in English.

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If expressed literally, some foreign terms aren’t simply lost in translation but beyond translation. The Argentinean expression buscarle la quinta pata al gato, translates to "look for the cat's fifth leg". This curious expression, rich with cultural flavor, denotes the tendency to overcomplicate matters or seek unnecessary complications.

In its native Spanish, the phrase carries a humorous undertone, emphasizing the absurdity of searching for an extra leg on a cat. However, when translated into English, the idiom loses its playful charm and becomes a literal quest for a nonexistent appendage, missing the cultural context that infuses it with humor and insight.

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Literally meaning "like playing the piano to a cow," this Chinese idiom conveys the futility of explaining something to someone who lacks the capacity to comprehend or appreciate it.

The inherent humor and cultural resonance in the original Mandarin phrase may elude English speakers, as the idiom plays with the absurdity of attempting a futile task.

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In the world of French Canadian expressions, the intriguing phrase chanter la pomme carries a cultural resonance often lost in translation. Literally translated as "to sing the apple," this idiom extends beyond its literal interpretation in English.

In its original context, the phrase conveys the act of sweet-talking or praising someone to gain favor or approval. The metaphorical association with singing to an apple adds a whimsical touch to the concept of flattery. Yet, when transposed into English, the idiom loses the playful imagery, and the cultural charm embedded in "chanter la pomme" may be overlooked.

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The Finnish expression "letting a frog out your mouth" makes no sense when uttered in English, but it does have a logical explanation in its native tongue, where it means "to say something wrong by mistake which can embarrass or upset someone".

The metaphorical picture of releasing a frog adds a playful touch to the idea of articulating something inconvenient. However, when translated literally into English, the charm of the metaphor is lost, and the idiom's cultural richness escapes comprehension.

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The Mexican phrase Si naciste para tamal, elote caerá del cielo, means "If you're born to be a tamale, the leaves will fall from the sky".

This idiom is a poetic way of expressing destiny and the idea that if something is meant to be, the universe will conspire to make it happen. The imagery of tamale-making, a cherished tradition in Mexican culture, adds a layer of metaphorical richness.

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An idiom that makes no sense in English, the Italian phrase un cane in chiesa, meaning "a dog in a church," describes a sense of discomfort or feeling out of place in a particular situation.

The humor and vivid picture of a dog in a sacred space add a fun touch to the expression. However, when directly translated into English, the idiom loses its cultural connotations.

Image: Jamie Street

While the literal translation of "pouring water over someone's head" might seem senseless in English, the actual meaning in its original Tamil is "to cut off a relationship", which could very well be a logical outcome if someone pours water over somebody else's head.

Beyond the literal interpretation, this Tamil idiom carries a symbolic weight, signifying a moment of frustration or exasperation. The act of pouring water over someone's head becomes a vivid symbol of releasing pent-up emotions or expressing discontent. However, when rendered in English, the idiom loses its cultural depth, and the resonance of water as a cathartic release may not be fully grasped.

PHRASES WITHOUT BORDERS

Did You Know That These 10 Idioms Have Equivalents In Other Languages?

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To say that the English language is filled to the brim with quirky and baffling idioms is no groundbreaking news: after all, we say that someone has "kicked the bucket" when they pass away, or that a heavy thunderstorm is comparable to "cats and dogs" raining from the sky. However, while we have previously delved into the inherent strangeness of the idioms we use every day, one of the most beautiful aspects of these phrases is how difficult they are to translate: tell a non-native English speaker that you are "head over heels" for them and you might only receive a weird look as a response. Luckily, for every strange English idiom, there’s always an even stranger idiom that conveys the same meaning, though using entirely different images. With that in mind, here are ten of the most unique equivalents of English idioms we could find. Enjoy!

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We’ll start with one that perfectly describes how baffling some of these idioms are. Whenever someone says "It’s all Greek to me" they are trying to convey how incomprehensible or difficult something is. In a way, this idiom makes perfect sense: English and Greek are extremely dissimilar, from the way both languages sound to the way they are written.

Similarly, the Czech language’s equivalent to this idiom also focuses on a completely dissimilar language to convey this feeling. The expression je to pro mě španělská vesnice literally translates to "It's a Spanish village to me."

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To say that someone has "rekindled an old flame" means that they have rediscovered feelings for a former partner. In that sense, these idioms are fairly self-explanatory: the image of lighting up a fire perfectly summarizes the heat and excitement of passion. However, Italy’s answer to this idiom perplexingly focuses on an objectively less romantic image. Let’s put it this way: if you had to associate passion and intimacy with a vegetable, would you honestly pick a cabbage?

The Italian phrase cavolo riscaldato, the equivalent to "rekindling an old flame", literally translates to "reheated cabbage." If this doesn’t speak to you, we have good and bad news. The good news is that some regions of Italy use a variant of this idiom, minestra riscaldata, so you might prefer to use this one the next time you find yourself in "the Boot." The bad news is that this idiom doesn’t fare that much better, since it translates to "reheated soup."

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No one wants to be the third wheel, that friend caught in the awkward position of unwillingly chaperoning a date. While tricycles are definitely a thing, this idiom speaks to how useless a third wheel is to a two-wheeled vehicle like a bicycle. Moreover, an argument could be made that it also highlights how troublesome it would be to carry a third and motionless wheel: it is as awkward for the couple as it is for the third party. Like we said, no one wants to be the third wheel.

In that sense, British English has a colorful idiom with the same meaning as "third wheel": being an unwanted companion is known in the United Kingdom as "playing gooseberry." The history behind this idiom is rather interesting: it comes from how chaperones would pretend to pick gooseberries to allow couples some intimacy during a date.

Image: Pasqualino Capobianco

The color blue has been associated with sadness since at least the late 19th century: "Having the blues" is a common idiom that describes not feeling great. There’s a reason why Blues music received this name: its slow chords and melancholic lyrics usually convey an atmosphere of sadness.

While the English language has a primary color to describe sadness, French is not so lucky: the phrase avoir le cafard, the equivalent of "having the blues," literally means "to have the cockroach." While definitively unpleasant, a point could be made that encountering a cockroach produces an unpleasant feeling not completely dissimilar to the blues.

Image: Caleb Woods

Quick question: if you had to choose the subject of our next idiom between a spade or a cat, would you even hesitate to choose the kitten? We know you wouldn’t: who in their right mind would pick a boring old spade over an adorable little furry bundle of joy?

Unfortunately for us English speakers, we are stuck with the idiom "to call a spade a spade" whenever we need to speak bluntly and in a straightforward manner. On the other hand, the French equivalent to this idiom is the phrase appeler un chat un chat, which translates to "to call a cat a cat."

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Any English speaker "taking the fall" is facing responsibility or repercussions for someone else’s actions, whether it is done intentionally or not. While this idiom is rather self-explanatory, the same can’t be said about its Portuguese counterpart: the phrase pagar o pato translates to "pay the duck."

Don’t worry, this idiom doesn’t involve reimbursing any ducks. Its origins can be traced back to an old Portuguese fable in which a dispute concerning the cost of a duck breaks out between a poor family and a duck vendor.

Image: Rafael Corrêa

When someone is "in the dark," they are completely unaware of something happening in the background. Whether they are kept in the dark by someone or they choose to live in ignorant bliss doesn’t really affect the meaning of this idiom: at the end of the day, someone is "in the dark" just by ignoring something.

In that sense, the imagery of this idiom seems rather obvious: someone whose vision is impaired and can’t see properly. Curiously, the German equivalent of this idiom still manages to convey the same meaning with an entirely different picture: the idiom Tomaten auf den Augen haben means "to have tomatoes on one's eyes."

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While we mostly use it as a mild and more polite swear word, the term "darn" actually has a definition: it can be used as a verb for mending knitted clothing like a sweater, or as a noun to describe patches and holes in clothes. Funnily, when it comes to the idiom "to give a darn," both meanings of this word can be used. Since this idiom means not caring at all about something, both a meaningless hole and a bland insult can convey this feeling.

On the contrary, some Spanish-speaking countries have an equivalent idiom that makes use of one of the most beloved vegetables in the world. The phrase me importa un pepino roughly translates to "It matters to me as much as a cucumber does." While we can’t be sure if this idiom speaks of how cheap or how disliked cucumbers are in the Spanish-speaking world, we are certain that being told that you matter as much as a vegetable is definitively a hard pill to swallow.

Image: Mathew Schwartz

Don’t worry; this idiom doesn’t involve any curses: The devil won’t actually show up if you speak of him, like some sort of Bloody Mary urban legend. This extremely popular idiom is used whenever you are talking about someone, and they suddenly show up at that exact moment.

In the Spanish-speaking world, the devil is replaced with a king. Contrary to what you might think though, the saying does not mention the king of Spain, but rather a fictional king of the capital city of Italy: Spanish speakers use the expression hablando del rey de Roma, which literally translates to "speaking of the King of Rome."

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We’ll end this article with the idiom that confused us the most. The expression "a wolf in sheep’s clothing" is used to describe a dangerous person hiding behind an innocent facade. This idiom comes from the New Testament, where Jesus warns his disciples against false prophets who mask their dark intentions with kindness. In any case, this idiom doesn’t require much explanation: a wolf is, after all, a dangerous predator to defenseless sheep.

However, Japan’s take on this idiom uses what’s probably this country’s most beloved pet. Japan’s expression "To wear a cat in your head" means exactly the same thing as "a wolf in sheep’s clothing." We know this is confusing, but trust us, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation. Japan’s very well-documented love for cats means that no one would ever suspect a cat of something nefarious. Thus, hiding behind a cat’s cuteness helps divert prying eyes from someone’s true intentions.