Our Savior's love, shines like the sun with perfect light. As from above, it breaks through clouds of strife.

Feb 26, 2007

English Phrases - Help

For my next trip to Sweden, I need your help. My coworkers in Sweden and I try to expand our language capabilities. Everyday, I teach them on US phase, and they teach me a phase in Swedish. They all speak English, so I have to teach them an American slang phase. I need your help, because I can’t think of and phases to tell them. What I need is a phase and a description for that phrase.

For example:
Phrase: “Bless their hearts”
Description: You can say the worst thing about someone, but if you add a “Bless their hearts” at the end, everything is ok and you are not really insulting that person.
Example: Greg cannot play basketball to save his life, Bless his hear

I hope this makes sense. Please tell me any one that may be unique. It is so fun to hear someone say a US phase with a Swedish Accent.

I will let you know what phrases I select and the Swedish ones that I learn.

6 comments:

andrea said...

Here are a couple for you. Can't wait to hear the Swedish ones.

"Jump on the bandwagon." To make a choice based on peer pressure because you are too spineless to think for yourself. Everyone else is doing it!

"Give me a break!" I don't believe you. You are either telling a joke that is hard to believe or you are blatantly lying.

"Let me give you my two cents' worth." I know you don't want to listen to my advice, but I'm going to tell you anyway.

"Don't quit your day job." You have no hope of reaching this goal you've set for yourself, so stop pretending and keep working.

Anonymous said...

"beat around the bush" - to avoid getting to the point of an issue

"can't see the forest for the trees" - someone who is too involved in the details to look at the situation as a whole

"hit below the belt" - to say something that is often too personal, usually irrelevant and always unfair

"put your foot in your mouth" - to make an embarrassing to tackless blunder when speaking

Have they heard of any of these?
Kim

AzYoda said...

And now for something completely different...

"Yo! Wud up home dawg? Your crib is off da hook!!! = "Hello my good friend. You really have a lovely home."

(Sorry, someone had to do it!)

Here is one I used in Piestany, Slovakia that got puzzled looks.

"The ball is in your court now." = "The responsibility of an action is now yours."

And my last input...

"Doh!" = "Doh!" Opps...I guess that one is universal! :)

Have fun!
Chuck

Anonymous said...

Here's one that's offically Smith High School approved:

"Don't test my Gangsta!" Are you questioning my manhood?

Jeremy

Anonymous said...

"What do you want, an egg in your beer?"

Loosely translated as "What more do you want?"

Janell said...

"Knee high to a Grasshopper"