# Expressions and nationalities!



## Nenita84

Hola, quería proponer un tema que me parece que puede ser interesante.

Tengo curiosidad por saber qué expresiones hay en cada idioma sobre las diferentes nacionales y los diferentes idiomas. Por ejemplo, en España decimos  "hacerse el sueco" o "sonar a chino". ¿Qué más expresiones conocéis que sean similares?


Hi, I wanted to propose a topic that in my opinion could be interesting.

I´m curious about knowing which expressions there are in each language about the different nacionalities. For example, in Spain we use expressions as "hacerse el sueco" (to pretend not to have heard) or "sonar a chino" (to be all Greek for someone). Which similar expressions do you know in your language??

Sorry for the horrible translation, but I wanted that most people could take part in this thread.

Greetings!


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## la reine victoria

In England if someone is saying something we don't understand we also say 'It's all Greek to me' or 'You are speaking double-Dutch'.


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## Laia

Hola nenita!

A mí me suena haber oído también "*despedirse a la francesa*"... aunque si te soy sincera, no sé bien bien que significa...

saludos


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## Nenita84

la reine victoria said:
			
		

> In England if someone is saying something we don't understand we also say 'It's all Greek to me' or 'You are speaking double-Dutch'.



Thank you for your royal collaboration . Dutch is not such a strange language, but perhaps "double-Dutch" it´s really complicate . By the way, referring to dutch-speakers, we´ve in Spain an expression that´s: "ponerse flamenco" that speaks about the flemish people and that means "to get cocky".


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## Nenita84

Laia said:
			
		

> Hola nenita!
> 
> A mí me suena haber oído también "*despedirse a la francesa*"... aunque si te soy sincera, no sé bien bien que significa...
> 
> saludos



Sí, yo también la había oido y no sé porqué (bueno, lo sé, será por los besos franceses ) pensaba que era despedirse muy efusivamente, pero que vaaa, significa según WR despedirse sin decir ni muuu!! Por cierto, gracias por la colaboración.


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## Roi Marphille

to "go dutch"
I think is to divide the bill of the restaurant..


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## LV4-26

Laia said:
			
		

> A mí me suena haber oído también "*despedirse a la francesa*"...


 The English equivalent of that is : _take French leave_
Its French equivalent is : _filer à l'anglaise..._.

Same opposition with _the French horn_ and _le cor anglais. _(a low-pitched oboe)

I also think condoms were once called _French preventives_ and/or _French_ _letters_ in English and _capotes anglaises_ in French. (we've kept the noun but dropped the adjective since)

For something incomprehensible : _c'est de l'hébreu _or_ c'est du chinois_


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## Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!

Something to please all the Spanish foreros: When we don't understand something (a problem, a text, etc.), we sometimes call it _španělská vesnice_ - a Spanish village.

There's a dish called _francouzské brambory - _French potatoes - which is apparently quite unknown in France.

On that thought, let us not forget _francouzská nemoc_ - the French disease - which I believe neeeds no explanation. 

The noun _flám_ - drinking binge - and the verb _flámovat_ are derived directly from _Flám_ - a Flemish person (we usually call those _Vlám_ nowadays, just to be safe). We also have the idiom _pít jako Dán_ - to drink like a Dane, meaning simply to drink a lot, which supposedly stems from the way Danish soldiers behaved in Bohemia after defecting in the Thirty Years' War.


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## luar

In Spanish we say "trabajar para el inglés" (working for the Englishman). This expression means something like “working for nothing”.  If someone does not receive a fair compensation for her/his labor then we would say that “está trabajando para el inglés”.


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## Laia

Otra expresión:
- *puntualidad británica* = llegar a la hora
jejeje...


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## Nenita84

LV4-26: In Spanish we use like the French people the expression "cuerno inglés" to call that instrument .

Tekeli-li: Sorry, but I need an explanation, what is the french disease?? Perhaps is it the mononucleosis, that´s called too "the disease of the kiss"? (Kisses and France is something very close for me :S)
By the way, the spanish villages are not so strange ;P!!


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## claro

A few from the British Isles...

A *Scottish* kiss (also known as a Glasgow kiss) = a head-butt (un cabezazo)

To *welsh* on someone = to swindle someone by not paying a debt

The luck of the *Irish* = self-explanatory 

Hmm, I can't think of one about the *English*, in English...

Edit: Maybe "English arrogance"


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## Kelly B

Only mad dogs and _Englishmen _[go out in the midday sun].


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## belén

The Dutch angle - in film and photography, it is a shot that has been taken with the camera not perpendicular or parallel to the subject. 
Example


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## Anna Più

In Catalan we say "agafar una turca" ("coger/aferrar" una turca) to take a Turkish (f)), to refer to someone that have drink too much...
I can't say why!  
A+


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## Carlston

"Hacer el Indio" es como decir "deja de hacer el tonto, el payaso" pero en tono afectivo

saludos


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## Roi Marphille

In Spanish there are some sexual..ejem.._activities_  with names of nationalities such as: francés, griego, cubana... I'm not going to explain what they are. I trhink that in Iberian-Portuguese, a _espanhol_ is the same sexual practice as a _francés_ in Spanish...


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## diegodbs

Se llama "noche americana" a la técnica fotográfica que consiste en filmar escenas durante el día en las que se cierra el objetivo de la cámara de tal manera, que las imágenes aparecen oscurecidas y simulan la noche.


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## Vanda

Reading all posts above I realized that many expressions are used everywhere, like these ones:
_sair à francesa, pontualidade britânica, isto é grego para mim_, and some others.
This one is very Brazilian: *'para inglês ver*" = to be seen by English people. We use it when we do anything pro forma, meant to be seen by authorities, parents, teachers, society , anyone, but only on the surface when actually we have no intention to do the real thing.

The expression appeared because of a historical fact occurred during slavery smuggling time. England was tired of waiting for D Pedro II 's kingdom (yes , Portuguese ruled yet) to put an end to the traffic, so Bill Aberdeen imposed a treaty (1845) in which English marine was allowed to capture Brazilian ships carrying black people and to judge their captains even if they were within Brazilian territorial waters. Well, Brazilian government signed the treaty just to satisfy  English government- to be seen by English goverment-, but had no intention to end snuggling. In fact, the traffic increased in number and in slaves' value in the market, because smugglers and slave owners were afraid to lose their source of income (smugglers) and free laborers (owners).


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## Mei

la reine victoria said:
			
		

> In England if someone is saying something we don't understand we also say 'It's all Greek to me' or 'You are speaking double-Dutch'.


 
Here in Spain if we don't undertand someone we say "¿puedes hablar en cristiano para que te entienda?"

Cheers

Mei


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## Roi Marphille

Mei said:
			
		

> Here in Spain if we don't undertand someone we say "¿puedes hablar en cristiano para que te entienda?"
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Mei


or..._lo que me dices me suena a chino_.


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## Outsider

Vanda said:
			
		

> Reading all posts above I realized that many expressions are used everywhere, like these ones:
> _sair à francesa, pontualidade britânica, isto é grego para mim_, and some others.


Also: "É chinês para mim". Here's a previous thread about this expression.



			
				Vanda said:
			
		

> *This one is very Brazilian*: *'para inglês ver*" = to be seen by English people. We use it when we do anything pro forma, meant to be seen by authorities, parents, teachers, society , anyone, but only on the surface when actually we have no intention to do the real thing.


And very Portuguese, Vanda. 
It sounds like we only behave when foreigners are watching.  

And another phrase: 'American test'.


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## hald

The ones I know in french :

Soûl comme un polonais -> Drunk as a Pole / Borracho como un polaco
Il parle français comme une vache espagnole -> He speaks french like a spanish cow / Habla frances como una vaca española


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## Vanda

> And very Portuguese, Vanda.


 
Outsider, I should have said: very Portuguese, because, actually, in that time the 'thinking heads' and doers or everything here were Portuguese. Brazilians that time were only the natives indians. But, today I can say, we've 'stolen' the act and adapted it in a very tupiniquim way. 

Another one, but I don't see many people saying it nowadays, is "*trabalhar que nem um mouro*" = work like a Moor. (maybe because noboby works like a Moor anymore!) hehe


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## Laia

Vanda said:
			
		

> Another one, but I don't see many people saying it nowadays, is "*trabalhar que nem um mouro*" = work like a Moor. (maybe because noboby works like a Moor anymore!) hehe


 
Similar in Spanish "*esto es un trabajo de chinos*", when doing something requires a lot of work and patience.


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## Roi Marphille

hald said:
			
		

> The ones I know in french :
> 
> Soûl comme un polonais -> Drunk as a Pole / Borracho como un polaco
> Il parle français comme une vache espagnole -> He speaks french like a spanish cow / Habla frances como una vaca española


getting drunk?
In Spanish: _beber como un cosaco_. drink like a cossak.


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## marinax

Roi Marphille said:
			
		

> to "go dutch"
> I think is to divide the bill of the restaurant..


 
jeje, y aca le decimos "pagar a la americana" (aunque no sea una frase muy usada).

a una persona bastante "cabeza dura" le decimos "gallego" (ups...)

un "baño polaco" es cuando solo te lavas las axilas y pies (no se porque)

si alguien se enoja facilmente, podemos decir que "se le subio la tanada" (tano= italiano)

.... y debe haber mas que ahora no me acuerdo...


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## elroy

This is not very pleasant, but in Palestinian Arabic large people are often compared to a "ba2ara holandiyye" (a Dutch cow).  I guess Dutch cows are big?

If we don't understand something, we compare it to "sansikriiti" (Sanskrit).

We have many Sri Lankan women who work as maids, such that the word "sirilankiyye" (Sri Lankan - feminine) has come to mean "maid."

If I remember any others I'll come back and post them.


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## Vanda

> un "baño polaco" es cuando solo te lavas las axilas y pies [/QUOTE
> lol, acá decimos "baño checo" , pero es cuando solo se lava otros lugares 'más abajo' que las axilas.


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## marinax

Vanda said:
			
		

> un "baño polaco" es cuando solo te lavas las axilas y pies [/QUOTE
> lol, acá decimos "baño checo" , pero es cuando solo se lava otros lugares 'más abajo' que las axilas.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> tenes razon ! creo que tambien incluye "esas partes"...
Click to expand...


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## Roi Marphille

Someone told me that in Norway, when someone is doing something against the rules, they say: "he/she is doing it the Spanish way"
is that true?


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## Carlston

"no seas catalán", es ofensiva, se dice que los catalanes son muy ahorrativos o peseteros

saludos


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## Roi Marphille

Carlston said:
			
		

> "no seas catalán", es ofensiva, se dice que los catalanes son muy ahorrativos o peseteros
> 
> saludos


yep, I think it happens the same with Scotish and Dutch. I mean this stereotype, jokes..


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## Hakro

In Finnish (and in some other languages, too, I believe) 'it's all Greek' we have a similar exprssion 'it's all Hebrew'.

 If something seems to be very complicated, for us it's a 'Chinese thing'.

 If somebody's doing things totally wrong, he's doing it 'in a Russian Way'.

 Can't you find anything positive or nice about your neighbours or other nationalities (except the French kiss) ?


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## ampurdan

Creo que el "baño polaco" se debe a que por aquellas latitudes, en tiempos en que no se disponía de agua caliente (creo que hasta hace poco, no se podía disponer de agua caliente todo el día por ahí) la gente no ponía un especial énfasis en mojarse mucho para lavarse por las mañanas.


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## Brioche

Roi Marphille said:
			
		

> In Spanish there are some sexual..ejem.._activities_  with names of nationalities such as: francés, griego, cubana... I'm not going to explain what they are. I trhink that in Iberian-Portuguese, a _espanhol_ is the same sexual practice as a _francés_ in Spanish...


 
English has "French kissing", and "Greek love".

In Australia, people will excuse their bad language [cursing], by saying "Pardon my French".


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## LV4-26

Laia said:
			
		

> Similar in Spanish "*esto es un trabajo de chinos*", when doing something requires a lot of work and patience.


 In French, very long and very hard work is called "un travail de Romain (Roman)". 
Your "_trabajo de chinos_" (patience and attention to detail) would rather be _un travail de moine_ (monk).




			
				Hakro said:
			
		

> Can't you find anything positive or nice about your neighbours or other nationalities (except the French kiss) ?



I'm not that surprised. It seems it's much more fun to mock than to praise.


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## Roi Marphille

Hakro said:
			
		

> Can't you find anything positive or nice about your neighbours or other nationalities (except the French kiss) ?


well, actually I noted down some activities which may bear to great joy and pleasure  (for some) in my post #17.


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## Fernando

Also, I have heard the phrase "Eres más cumplido que un portugués" (You are even more polite than a Portuguese").


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## ampurdan

Creo que en francés dicen "une auberge espagnole" por casa de locos (de hecho, hay una película de Klapisch ambientada en Barcelona que se titula así en francés y le dieron esa traducción en español, no "albergue/hostal español" que sería el literal): queriendo decir un lugar donde todo es caótico.


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## LV4-26

ampurdan said:
			
		

> Creo que en francés dicen "une auberge espagnole" por casa de locos


The actual meaning of _une auberge espagnole_ in French : an inn where the customers bring in all they wish to find.

Of course you can use it for many different things, not only inns. You can say that such film or music or work of art is _une auberge espagnole_ meaning that each viewer or listener can see what they expected to see in it but that nobody seems to see the same things.

The main reason why the film was called _l'auberge espagnole_ is that it takes place in Spain. Also because there are people of different nationalities who all bring in their own cultural background.


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## ampurdan

Is it? My french teacher told me it meant a chaotic place... I think. Well, I prefer your interpretation, LV4-26.


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## Outsider

"À grande e à francesa": in the great French way. It means extravagantly, luxuriously, lavishly...


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## natasha2000

Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li! said:
			
		

> Something to please all the Spanish foreros: When we don't understand something (a problem, a text, etc.), we sometimes call it _španělská vesnice_ - a Spanish village.
> 
> Tekeli-li, the same in Serbian! If we don't have a clue about something, we say also _*This is all spanish villages to me*...._
> 
> Hacerse el sueco (Sorry, I don't know the expression in English), we say *hacerse inglés*...
> 
> If someone drinks a lot, but a lot a lot!!!! Then the Serbs say; _*He drinks like a Russian!*_
> 
> If someone says to you, Well, _*you are naive like a French chambermaid*_! it means that this person thinks you are not naive at all! All contrary!


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## ampurdan

WRD: *hacerse el sueco*: to pretend not to have heard.


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## Nenita84

Here we´ve in some houses *escaleras holandesas *(Dutch stairs). ---> http://www.slowtrips.com/photo/showphoto.php/photo/6957/cat/3217

And we usually we eat *ensaladilla rusa* that´s a salad that has many ingredients such as potatoes, mayo, olivas, thon, boiled eggs... it´s really yummy!!! ;-)


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## Anna Più

Nenita84 said:
			
		

> Here we´ve in some houses *escaleras holandesas *(Dutch stairs). ---> http://www.slowtrips.com/photo/showphoto.php/photo/6957/cat/3217
> 
> And we usually we eat *ensaladilla rusa* that´s a salad that has many ingredients such as potatoes, mayo, olivas, thon, boiled eggs... it´s really yummy!!! ;-)


 
Hi Nenita,
Ensaladilla Rusa and tortilla a la francesa (plain omelette)...!
I think that culiniray expressions can be longer in this thread!
Regards,
A+


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## Roi Marphille

Anna Più said:
			
		

> Hi Nenita,
> Ensaladilla Rusa and tortilla a la francesa (plain omelette)...!
> I think that culiniray expressions can be longer in this thread!
> Regards,
> A+


Also French fries in the USA.


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## Dan101

_If someone says to you, Well,you are naive like a French chambermaid! it means that this person thinks you are not naive at all! All contrary!_


The correct English expression is "on the contrary".


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## Laia

*un cuento chino* = a false story, to lie to someone

What an obsession with China in Spanish!! jejeje


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## Nenita84

And it seems that we are obsessed with Indians too!! *

"hablar a lo indio" *to speak a language without conjugating the verbs, not using articles. 

*"en fila india" *in a single file


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## moodywop

In Italian "It's all Greek to me" is "*Per me è arabo*" ("it's Arabic to me").

"Smoke like a chimney" is "*fumare come un turco*" ("smoke like a Turk")

"Speak double-dutch" is "*parlar turco"*("speak Turkish")

An odd one is *"andarsene/filarsela all'inglese"*, "slip away unnoticed"


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## Anna Più

I add the chinese soup, and the greek salad...

Bon apettit! 
A+


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## LV4-26

Nenita84 said:
			
		

> *"en fila india" *in a single file


same in French : _en file indienne._


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## Dan101

By 'on the contrary' I was referring only to 'all contrary', which is not a standard expression in English.

 'On the contrary', I think, is the same as the French 'au contraire', but I don't know French.


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## Laia

*No hay moros en la costa* = there is nobody around

P. D.: me ha dado la idea Gisele en el thread "hacer campana"... jeje


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## Hakro

In Finnish a *French visit* means a short and usually very formal visit. The same expression is used in Swedish.

In German *französisch Aschied nehmen* (to say goodbye in French) means to leave without saying goodbye, to leave in secret or surreptitiously.


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## LV4-26

Hakro said:
			
		

> In German *französisch Aschied nehmen* (to say goodbye in French) means to leave without saying goodbye, to leave in secret or surreptitiously.


To take French leave, then?


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## Anna Più

Otra frase: *Hacerse la uruguaya*

Tiene que ver con la división de una cuenta entre varios, cuando en la devolución del canvio entre unos y otros, al final, "la uruguaya" se queda de canvio la misma cantidad de dinero que tendría que pagar.
Lista la uruaguaia eh?
Pues... Que nadie se haga la uruguaya! 
A+


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## Javier-Vega

En Mexico "cobrarse a lo chino" es apoderarse de alguna pertenencia de alguien que te debe dinero, sin advertir primero.

In Mexico "cobrarse a lo chino" (to collect the chinese way) is when you "expropiate" without warning something that belongs to someone else in exchange of some money he owes you.


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## Synclaire

Buena idea el hilo, nenita !

Aquí en Alemania se dice "Es kommt mir spanisch vor" = "me suena/me parece español" cuando algo les parece raro o no comprensible o misterioso ...

Cuando lo escuché por primera vez me asombró mucho y me quedé un poco ofendida


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## ampurdan

Es que el castellano es un idioma bien raro si uno lo mira desde fuera... Suena a chino.


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## LV4-26

I'd forgotten that one in French :
_Fort comme un Turc_ (strong like a Turk)

Also : _Soûl comme un Polonais_ (drunk like a Pole)


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## Laia

Otra sobre chinos... (pobretes, jeje):

*Engañar a alguien como a un chino*: to cheat someone credulous


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## Synclaire

Mi mamá (en Bs. Aires) decía siempre "mentir como un andaluz."


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## Laia

Talking about food, one about ourselves, the catalans (to stop with China for a while... jeje)

*crema catalana*... mmm...

http://images.google.es/images?q=crema+catalana&hl=ca&btnG=Buscar+Imatges


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## hald

Another one about turkish people :

Tête de turc : scapegoat or punch-bag


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## Nenita84

Ohhh, we say too "cabeza de turco"  in Spain !!


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## blancalaw

There is a lot of French influence in English:
French fries
French potatoes
French toast
All which I suppose do not exist in France.

One of my favorite is "French bath" or in Spanish "la ducha francesa" which means instead of taking a bath, one simply sprays perfume to cover any smell.


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## SpiceMan

como turco en la neblina -> estar muy perdido
café americano -> cafe suave y en mayor cantidad (no es una expresión)

y más chinos: 
chino básico -> incomprensible
de acá a la China -> en todo el mundo


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## Outsider

blancalaw said:
			
		

> There is a lot of French influence in English:
> French fries
> French potatos
> French toast
> All which I suppose do not exist in France.


French kiss.


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## lampiao

I think these haven't been posted before.
- Although this one is similar to Laia's «Engañar a alguien como a un chino»: 
Negócio da China (China's deal) meaning a very lucrative deal/business;

- Italiana -> I think it corresponds to the italian caffé ristretto. Not sure though, as I don't usually drink coffe

- francesinha -> a (shlllup) cuisine specialty from Oporto (Porto in pt) 

- sueca (swede female) -> 4 player card game. That's an odd name _innit_?

I'll give it some thought to remember some more

wow... I was taking a look at the above link and here's another one:

- molho inglês - english sauce

- chave inglesa

- Salada russa (Russian salad) a salad with peas, potatoes, carrots and that kind of stuff, mayonnaise. Served cold.

- Macedonia - Similar to the russian salad. Sorry I can't be very specific... I'm not so good a cook  
Maybe Outsider or Vanda will be able to help here

- Belgas (belgians) a sort of crackers/cookies

- chouriço mouro ou morcela (moorish _salami_ - is that its name in english? I couldn't find a translation)


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## brynhild

Hi everybody!
I don't know whether this would ring a bell: dutch courage. It is used to refer to that "courage" you get out of alcohol intakes.


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## lampiao

keeping it steady on food items: 

- Couve de Bruxelas - Brussels sprout


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## Jo-Jo

hola:
en comidas nos encontramos con : la ensalidilla rusa y el filete ruso... y no la verdad es que no se el motivo


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## Jo-Jo

y, en España: quién se fue a sevilla pierdio su silla y, quiñen se fue a Japón perdió su sillón


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## natasha2000

Jo-Jo said:
			
		

> y, en España: quién se fue a sevilla pierdio su silla y, quiñen se fue a Japón perdió su sillón


 
Es divertido pero....

¿qué es lo que se quiere decir con eso?


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## ampurdan

Vaya, yo lo conocía con la versión: "...y quien se fue a León, pierde su sillón".

Significa que si no se ocupa un puesto (una silla en una mesa o un lugar en una cola, por ejemplo) otra persona tiene todo el derecho a ocuparlo sin que la persona que lo desocupó se pueda quejar ni pueda reclamarlo. Buf! Menudo explicación para algo tan simple!


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## tigger_uhuhu

Jo-Jo said:
			
		

> y, en España: quién se fue a sevilla pierdio su silla y, quiñen se fue a Japón perdió su sillón


 
Ja, ja, ja
En México tenemos algo casi igual: "el que se fue a La Villa perdió su silla y ahora se sienta en una tortilla"   

AI: "La Villa" es, seguramente, la iglesia católica más importante en México, pues es el templo dedicado a la Virgen de Guadalupe.


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## la reine victoria

brynhild said:
			
		

> Hi everybody!
> I don't know whether this would ring a bell: dutch courage. It is used to refer to that "courage" you get out of alcohol intakes.


 
I know it well Brynhild,

I always need some Dutch courage when I go to the dentist.  

Best wishes,

LRV


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## natasha2000

ampurdan said:
			
		

> Vaya, yo lo conocía con la versión: "...y quien se fue a León, pierde su sillón".
> 
> Significa que si no se ocupa un puesto (una silla en una mesa o un lugar en una cola, por ejemplo) otra persona tiene todo el derecho a ocuparlo sin que la persona que lo desocupó se pueda quejar ni pueda reclamarlo. Buf! Menudo explicación para algo tan simple!


 
Pero, ¿por qué? La explicación es perfecta... Me encanta la expresión...
Y "simple" será para los que son nativos.... Aunque tengo que admitir, me gusta más la versión mexicana, con la tortilla....
Gracias...


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## Hakro

As we had last weekend temperatures around -25°C it came to my mind that we often say in Finnsh: "It's cold like (in) the Russian hell". This of course refers to Siberia, too.


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## Synclaire

Hakro said:
			
		

> As we had last weekend temperatures around -25°C it came to my mind that we often say in Finnsh: "It's cold like (in) the Russian hell". This of course refers to Siberia, too.


 
Aha ! In Argentina we say: "Hace un frío de locos !" (Right now I don't know how to translate that  ).


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## drei_lengua

Roi Marphille said:
			
		

> to "go dutch"
> I think is to divide the bill of the restaurant..


 
Roi Marphille,
Considering how much restaurants cost it would be nice to split the bill of the restaurant with someone.   

I believe you meant to say "to divide the bill at a restaurant".  What you had originally written implies that you are buying the restaurant.   

In the end, you are correct in saying that "to go Dutch" is to share the cost of something with another person.  That is how we use it.

drei


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## rawl

Don't be jewish= don't be cheap, do'nt be greedy.
sorry for pulling out the religion card... but all the others have been said that i know of.


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## Chaska Ñawi

Around here, you still hear "as drunk as an Irishman" among some of the older people.  You rarely, however, hear the sort of negative comparisons mentioned in other posts (dumb as a ...., cheap as a, etc.).

When I was in high school, something called a Chinese Fire Drill was popular.  When you stopped at a red light, everyone got out of the car and ran all the way around it before leaping back in.  The object was for everyone to be back in the car before the light changed.   

We also have Indian summer:  every now and again you get one or two weeks of warm weather in the autumn and it feels like summer again.


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## Hakro

Chaska Ñawi said:
			
		

> We also have Indian summer: every now and again you get one or two weeks of warm weather in the autumn and it feels like summer again.


In Finnish we the phrase 'Indian summer', too, but sort of misunderstood: We use the word that refers to American Indians, not the Asian Indians (we have different words for these two). The meaning is the same, anyway.


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## maxiogee

As I sit here, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, a citizen of the world, I have found that I needed to devise my own protest at the plethora of neologisms being coined by the computers which gave rise to the self-same Internet. My cry when I cannot understand the computerese with which I am often confronted is ....

*It's all Geek to me!*


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## Suane

In Slovakia- 
When you don't understant something- It's a Spanish village for me.-I guess it is similar in slavic languages.
When someone don't understand me- Are you Magyar (Hungarian)?
When someone don't understand how to do something- Are you Italian?
And there is also phrase when something happens rarely (I think) -so it happens once a Hungarian (Uhorský) year.


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## Ilmo

*Finland* - in addition to Hakro's very good posts:
Spoken language, that you don't understand at all, is called "siansaksaa" - that is, "*German of a swine*".
It is understandable that the word "German" is used, because Germans were quite diligent in the trade on the coasts of the Baltic Sea during the bygone centuries. The saying has remained while the dominant position of the German merchants has vanished.


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## Plink

Hakro said:
			
		

> As we had last weekend temperatures around -25°C it came to my mind that we often say in Finnsh: "It's cold like (in) the Russian hell". This of course refers to Siberia, too.


 
Here I hear on occassion "Colder than a witch's titty in a brass bra" Lewd, but funny.  

One term I like to use is: "Six to one, half-dozen to another". Going with the idea that six is the same as half-dozen...

ACW


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## la reine victoria

Plink said:
			
		

> Here I hear on occassion "Colder than a witch's titty in a brass bra" Lewd, but funny.
> 
> One term I like to use is: "Six to one, half-dozen to another". Going with the idea that six is the same as half-dozen...
> 
> ACW


 
Hi Pink,

If I may I would just like to correct your second phrase.  It should be 'six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Have you heard of 'a baker's dozen'.  This means not twelve, but thirteen.  

I don't know when this came into use but apparently if you bought 12 buns or cakes from the baker he would give you an extra one by way of appreciation of your custom.  Perhaps he might have said, 'Right, that's twelve and one for luck.'

That doesn't happen these days.  All we see is 'buy one - get one free' - but that doesn't lower the supermarkets' profits.  On the contrary, they increase since people imagine they are getting a bargain!

Nice post!  Especially the 'witch' reference.    Which reminds me of another saying - 'It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey!'


LRV


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## Plink

Thanks for the correction.  I tend to get it wrong.  <_<  But the meaning still stays the same.  Now I can use it correctly, and people will understand me, instead of giving me a confused look.  Hahahaha!

ACW


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## la reine victoria

rawl said:
			
		

> Don't be jewish= don't be cheap, do'nt be greedy.
> sorry for pulling out the religion card... but all the others have been said that i know of.


 
In the UK we say of Jews, 'He's a real Scrooge,' as in Dickens' character, the mean Scrooge, in 'A Christmas Carol'.

Of course you would never say it to a Jewish person.  But if you did then I am sure he would laugh since Jewish people have a wonderful sense of humour and are always making jokes about themselves.

If it hasn't alrady been said, we also say 'as thick as an Irishman' and 'as mean as a Scotsman'.  Neither of these epithets is true of course but there are hundreds of jokes about all races.  We have many which begin, 'There was an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman . . . . . . '


LRV


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## maxiogee

I believe the concept of the baker's dozen came about as a weights & measures thing. The story has it that a regulation came into force that loaves/buns had to be of a certain weight. As these were made by hand and therefore could vary in weight and were usually bought by the dozen the baker added an extra to ensure compliance with the rules.


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## la reine victoria

maxiogee said:
			
		

> I believe the concept of the baker's dozen came about as a weights & measures thing. The story has it that a regulation came into force that loaves/buns had to be of a certain weight. As these were made by hand and therefore could vary in weight and were usually bought by the dozen the baker added an extra to ensure compliance with the rules.


 
How can we possibly say *'As thick as an Irishman'* when Maxiogee proves he's using his loaf?


LRV


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## panjandrum

I am amazed at the suggestion that the expressions "thick as an Irishman" and "mean as a Scotsman" might be common in the UK.  Of course we, like every country in the world, have our ethnic jokes.  But you can't surely be suggesting that blatant similes like this are common?

So I looked on Google.
I found ten "thick as an Irishman"s and four "mean as a Scotsman"s.


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## Kelly B

Surely you mean the oatmeal. 
Based on an admittedly limited sample, I find the other proposition absurd....


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## GenJen54

This thread has ventured a bit too far off from its original intent to discuss *innocuous* expressions using nationalities, and is now beginning to find its way onto the tops of various toes.

As it really has worn out its very extended welcome, it is now closed.


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