Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
I Illustrate Norwegian-To-English Idiom Translations To Show How Weird They Can Be To Non-Native Speakers (16 Pics)
What is a “Slow Cheese,” an “Environmental Pig,” or a “Cardboard Skull,” you might ask?
Well, if you read on, I will tell you!
A little while back, I posted some illustrations of bad, but funny, translations of Norwegian words here on Bored Panda.
You people seemed to like it, so I decided to make yet another post with weird Norwegian idioms as well.
For more content, you can also follow my Instagram and let me know what you would like to see next!
Hope you like it!
More info: Instagram
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Final score:
62points
RELATED:
#2
Final score:
49points
Ole Peder Amrud Hagen 4 years ago
Nope. 'Mose' in Norwegian means 'moss'. 'Bog' would be 'myr' in Norwegian.
Load More Replies...
Layla Corman 4 years ago
If I ever write a horror movie, book, ect. I'm totally using Owls in the moss. I love owls, but it does sound sus!
Lúthien 4 years ago (edited)
Might originally have been wolves (ulver) :) I quite like the idea of suspicious owls though
Mats Iversen (Submission author) 4 years ago
Yup, it comes from the danish "Wolves in the moss". I don't know how it became "Owls" in Norwegian, but maybe because danish is impossible to understand :D
Load More Replies...
Marianne Almås 4 years ago
This is actually an old mistranslation of the Danish sentence: Ulver i mosen (wolves in the marsh)
Ole Peder Amrud Hagen 4 years ago (edited)
Well, this comes from Danish 'Ulver i mosen', which means 'wolves in the marshes/bogs'. Because the Danes have the world's worst diction, it was misinterpreted.
Allan Breum 4 years ago
Fun fact: Originally it wasn't owls (ugler), but wolves (Ulve) in the marsh (mosen). That makes the expression make a whole lot more sense.
#3
Final score:
48points
Layla Corman 4 years ago
My mother always called us "hard heads" or Gabadost. I still use both.
Charlotte 4 years ago
It's funny, both hard and soft adjectives as head descriptions can mean "stupid".
Load More Replies...
Charlotte 4 years ago
Thick, thicko, thick-skulled, thick as two short planks, couldn't think your way out of a damp paper bag, bird-brained, pea-brained, lack-wit, empty headed, air-head, the lights are on but nobody's home, Trump.
Load More Replies...
Nubis Knight 4 years ago
I know the German "Dappschädel", I'll know using it as "Pappschädel".
Pille P 4 years ago
In Estonian there is puupea - wooden head :D - someone who's head is so hard that they have trouble learning new things
Ole Peder Amrud Hagen 4 years ago
We also have 'treskalle' in Norwegian, which translates the same.
Load More Replies...
#4
Final score:
47points
Earl Grey 4 years ago
I read “War and Peace” in 45 minutes. It’s about Russia.
Load More Replies...
Molly Parker Ronan 4 years ago
I've read 976 books since I was 9. I'm 10 and it has been 5 months since my birthday.
Harleen 4 years ago
Good for you! Is your goal 1000? It's too bad more young people don't love reading as much as you. Maybe you'll be writing them some day 🙂
Load More Replies... Glynna Bowood 4 years ago
English also have a idiom: "Clothes Horse " for people who have lots of clothes
Mewton’s Third Paw 4 years ago
I always hated this saying! But you are right
Load More Replies...
Natalie Bohrteller 4 years ago
In German you could say something like reading rat (Leseratte) or book worm (Bücherwurm).
Mats Iversen (Submission author) 4 years ago
I think it might be because horses generally was used for work and not riding in Norway, but I'm not 100% sure.
Load More Replies...
#5
Final score:
46points
Lira Mai 4 years ago
well the people/rioters who march in the capitol hill last January 6, i wonder which state most of the came from.
Load More Replies...
VolkswagenPanda 4 years ago
Hahahahaha I was just vibing and then something about TEXAS came up...I'm literally going to Six Flags later today!
Bacony Cakes 4 years ago
TEXAS?? Holy cow! You know what comes from Texas, don't you? 250px-Barn...41e61e.jpg 
#6
Final score:
46points
John Laughlin 4 years ago
My Grandmother always cautioned, "Don't ever get behind a driver wearing a hat. You know he's going to drive slowly."
Ole Peder Amrud Hagen 4 years ago
I guess you should mention that a lot of these are dialectal. This is not a term used all over Norway, but there are versions of it all over.
Susan Reid Smith 4 years ago
A Sunday driver is someone driving around kind of randomly for pleasure, rather than to get to a certain place at a certain time.
Load More Replies... #7
Final score:
44points
Mats Iversen (Submission author) 4 years ago
I come from Trondheim which is in the middle part of Norway. It is a common term used here, but I think it is used more places in Norway as well
Load More Replies...
#8
Final score:
42points
#9
Final score:
39points
Nubis Knight 4 years ago
Oder: "Das gelbe vom Ei" (the yellow from the egg).
Load More Replies...
Allan Breum 4 years ago
In Denmark we had a local entertainer get elected on the promise of tailwinds on the bikepaths. He did this illustrate how stupid some of the promises politicians make are.
Chewie Baron 4 years ago
There's a saying that's aimed at Politicians, "in opposition they offer is the Earth, but in power they give us mud".
#10
Final score:
38points
#11
Final score:
37points
Erik Asbjørnsen 4 years ago
Also commonly used in conjunction with not going to bed ie partying all night, you would use the term; he / she has sheet fright. 😁
Ole Peder Amrud Hagen 4 years ago
Hm, I never heard it used in this sense. I've only heard, and used it, about people who don't really like going to bed and would rather stay up. I'm one of those.
#12
Final score:
37points
#14
Final score:
29points
Yeah, you heard 4 years ago
I've not heard anyone born after about 1960 say "telltale tit" it's an old people phrase
Load More Replies... 
#15
Final score:
26points
#16
Final score:
25points
N G 4 years ago
What's the logic behind this saying? Does the person want to put their partner's clothes into a suitcase?
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Freya the Wanderer 4 years ago
These are all great! The English language needs to adopt at least some of these. Why not? English has been grabbing words and idioms from other tongues for centuries.
Penny Kemper 4 years ago
I honestly all make sense to me, and yes I'm American. I especially like that they have one involving Texas.... but in USA Florida is the axis of crazy. Lol
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 4 years ago
This is was a wonderfully fun (and educative) post! Working in the linguistics field, I always enjoy posts about idioms, bizarre translations, and etymology. Thank you for sharing.
Freya the Wanderer 4 years ago
These are all great! The English language needs to adopt at least some of these. Why not? English has been grabbing words and idioms from other tongues for centuries.
Penny Kemper 4 years ago
I honestly all make sense to me, and yes I'm American. I especially like that they have one involving Texas.... but in USA Florida is the axis of crazy. Lol
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 4 years ago
This is was a wonderfully fun (and educative) post! Working in the linguistics field, I always enjoy posts about idioms, bizarre translations, and etymology. Thank you for sharing.
Related on Bored Panda
