# go smoothly



## ThomasK

Don't take this literally: I am just referring to the Dutch use of the word *'rimpelloos'*, almost a synonym of *'fluently'*, as in 'Alles verloopt rimpelloos' ('Everything "runs" smoothly' - 'run' meaning _se dérouler_ in French, _verlaufen_ in German). My question is: what words (metaphors) do you use when referring to things taking their course in a natural,non-turbulent way? 

_BTW: these wrinkles seem to refer to the water surface: there is no turbulence, everything moves/flows (*smoothly*). that is why we use 'lopen', to run, I think, as well. _

Expressions describing that are welcome as well. Like in Dutch : _*Alles loopt van een leien dakje*_ (runs from a slate roof, i.e., everything runs smoothly). As a matter of fact, I guess water flowing might be the most common metaphor.


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## rusita preciosa

In Russian we have a few expressions for things running smoothly:
*без сучка и задоринки* /bez suchka i zadorinki/ - without a single little branch or splinter/thorn (as in a very smooth piece of wood)
*как по маслу* /kak po maslu/ - like on butter
*гладко* /gladko/ - smoothly


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## jazyk

> *как по маслу* /kak po maslu/ - like on butter
> *гладко* /gladko/ - smoothly


Like Czech: jak po másle; hladce.


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## sakvaka

*Finnish*. I found these:

Homma sujuu...
~ kuin tanssi (goes like dance)
~ kuin rasvattu (goes like [sth] greased)
~ kuin vettä vaan (goes like plain water?)
~ leikiten (goes like a child's play)
~ kauniisti (beautifully)

Why not: Kaikki kulkee sulavasti (Everything goes smoothly; the root is in fact "sulaa" - to melt). But this is not so common as the others.


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## ThomasK

Thanks, all of you, quite interesting. 

@ RP/ J: could gladko be linked with polishing or slippery like ice (we have 'glad' in Dutch for those meaning: _gladde vloeren, glad ijs_)

@S : thanks, you remind me of some Dutch expressions
 - _als een geoliede machine_ (but not that common)
 - _kinderspel_ (child's game/ play: but with us that is (too) easy !)


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## Orlin

rusita preciosa said:


> In Russian we have a few expressions for things running smoothly:
> *как по маслу* /kak po maslu/ - like on butter
> *гладко* /gladko/ - smoothly


Bulgarian: по мед и масло (po med i maslo); гладко (gladko).


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## rusita preciosa

The root *-glad-* means smoothness, sleekness, evenness.
There is a verb gladit meaning to stroke, to smooth, to iron (clothes).
Not sure if it is related to the Ducth word.


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## itreius

ThomasK said:


> @ RP/ J: could gladko be linked with polishing or slippery like ice (we have 'glad' in Dutch for those meaning: _gladde vloeren, glad ijs_)


Yep,

Dutch _glad_, O.E. _glæd_, German _glatt_, PIE _*ghledho-_, Old Church Slavonic _gladuku_.

*Croatian*
_glatko_ (smoothly)
_kao podmazano_ (as if lubricated)


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## ThomasK

Amazing, thanks! Simply a common root then? However, we don't say: "Het verloopt gladjes" (

_kao podmazano_ (as if lubricated) : there is the oil again ! Great !

I try to summarize : I see references to *butter (and soft wood ?), oil, water, dancing, games*. Have I forgotten any ? Thanks, everyone, more welcome...


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## Havfruen

In English, we have "to run seamlessly". If there's no seams, it's easy to iron a garment to be smooth (no wrinkles). 
"Smooth as glass" 
"Like taking candy from a baby"
"Child's play"
"Without a hitch"


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## jazyk

There's also the German reibungslos (without friction).


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## ThomasK

Great contributions. I just wonder about the 'taking candy from a baby': I don't have one, but it is that easy ? ;-)


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## Havfruen

Based on my childhood experience, it's quite easy to get away with taking sweets and things from someone smaller than you who does not know how to talk yet. I'm the oldest. 

While on the topic of food, a couple more:

"Like a hot knife through butter"
"Smooth as gravy"


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## ThomasK

Yeah, you're right ! But we only think of water/ rain when seeing things run smoothly, not of gravy ! (We don't consider that that inspirational) ;-)


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## apmoy70

In Greek:
«Όλα βαίνουν καλώς» ('ola 'venun ka'los) lit. _everything goes well_; it sounds a bit archaic but we use it as a proverbial phrase.
«Όλα καλά» ('ola ka'la) lit. _everything well_; the above as colloquialism.
In general, to describe something _wrink-less_, Thomas, we use the adj. «ομαλός, -λή, -λό» (oma'los _m._, oma'li _f._, oma'lo _n._); from the Classical adjective «ὁμαλός, -λὴ, -λόν» (hŏmā'lŏs _m._, hŏmālē _f._, hŏmā'lŏn _n._)-->_even, level, regular_ which gives the adverb «ὁμαλῶς» (hŏmā'lōs), «ομαλά» (oma'la) in Modern Greek-->_evenly, regularly, smoothly_. «Ὁμαλός» is a compound, formed with the joining together of the adjective «ὁμός» (hŏ'mŏs)-->_one and the same_ + suffix «-αλός» (-ā'lŏs) which actively forms adjectives that suggest quality. 
«Ὁμός» from PIE base *somos, cognate with English _same_.


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## ThomasK

How about 'καλώς' (and derivatives), Apmoy? I remember _kalos k'agath_os, or something the like: the beautiful and the true (what is true is beautiful, to put it bluntly ?). But this is not really beautiful, I guess. More like: nice, OK, well ? 

So you don't use ὁμαλῶς, I understand, in that context. Could you use it as an adverb in some metaphorical way ? _(Thanks again, as always !)_


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## bibax

Czech:

*jako dobře namazaný stroj* = like a well oiled machine;
*jako švýcarské hodinky* = like a Swiss watch;

Usually about an organisation/institution, for example:

_Evropská unie běží jako dobře namazaný stroj._ = The EU runs like a well oiled machine.
_Eurozóna funguje jako švýcarské hodinky._ = The Euro area is functioning like a Swiss watch.


*bez zádrhelů* = without snags/hitches;


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## Tjahzi

The *Swedish* cognate to _wrinkle/rimpel _is _rynka_, which is used exclusively to refer to wrinkles of one's skin. 

However, when one wants to say that things _go _(because things _go_, they can't _run_) smoothly, there are a couple of possible options:

_gå smärtfritt_ - _painlessly_ - without trouble
_gå smidigt_ -_ neatly_ - without causing any troubles or demanding extra effort
_gå som på räls_ - _like on a rail - _perfectly, without any troubles, delays or interventions_
gå av sig självt - of/by it self - _no maneuvering, thinking or intervention required


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## ThomasK

We mainly say that they _ver-lopen, lopen, _and sometimes _gaan_. Are these different worlds? ;-) Adn _wrinkles_: we do not use the words in other ways either, except for this one. 

The _*vanzelf*_ (by itself) we have in Dutch as well. En *als* _*gesmeerd*_ (as if oiled) too, come to think of it. Thanks for the hint.


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## Tjahzi

Yes, they are. _Gå_ is obviously a cognate of _gaan, gehen _and _go_, whereas _run_ is _springa_ (from PIE _*sprengh-_ "rapid movement" (interesting developments indeed)). 

There is also _löpa_ (whose cognate is standard in Danish and Norwegian for _to run_), but it is perceived as somewhat archaic in it's verb form. There are numerous words derived from it however: _löpning_ - _running _(noun), _löpare - runner _and _lopp - race_. (I suppose things used to _löpa_, but as the verb fell out of use in it's normal sense, it also lost ground in the metaphoric sense, hence, we just use _gå_ today.)

Note: Swedish verbs always end in _a_ in their infinite form, except if the root contains only one vowel (in those cases, they can end in any vowel. _Dö - die, ge - give, gå - go, bo - reside, etc_)_._


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## ThomasK

That is quite interesting: normally it mean to jump with us (_springen_). But I see a link: _lopen en springen_ can mean doing lots of things in a hurry !


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## Tjahzi

Yes, indeed. I became aware of this interesting diversion when I studied German in school and found it very amusing. But when I found that etymology, it all made great sense.


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## catlady60

Havfruen said:


> In English, we have "to run seamlessly". If there's no seams, it's easy to iron a garment to be smooth (no wrinkles).
> "Smooth as glass"
> "Like taking candy from a baby"
> "Child's play"
> "Without a hitch"



Also: 
"A piece of cake"
"Hassle-free"
"Trouble-free"
"A cinch"


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## ThomasK

Would you be able to comment on precise meanings of the expressions ? Especially the "hassle" and "cinch" ? Thanks !


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## catlady60

ThomasK said:


> Would you be able to comment on precise meanings of the expressions ? Especially the "hassle" and "cinch" ? Thanks !



Refer to these:
http://www.wordreference.com/definition/hassle
Hassle-free refers to something that lacks an irritating inconvenience.

http://www.wordreference.com/definition/cinch


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## ThomasK

That is a great hint, I did not know about that, but I should use it more often, I think.


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## bibax

In Bohemia we use the word _cinch_ for RCA connectors (audio/video connectors). I didn't know that _cinch_ is related to Latin _cingulum_ (< cingo, cingere).


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## Outsider

ThomasK said:


> Don't take this literally: I am just referring to the Dutch use of the word *'rimpelloos'*, almost a synonym of *'fluently'*, as in 'Alles verloopt rimpelloos' ('Everything "runs" smoothly' - 'run' meaning _se dérouler_ in French, _verlaufen_ in German). My question is: what words (metaphors) do you use when referring to things taking their course in a natural,non-turbulent way?


In Portuguese there is *correr sobre rodas*, to run smoothly, lit. "to run on wheels".


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