Many people in Thailand believe in some form of reincarnation. Literal Translation: One afternoon in your next life Some say the idiom started with weary soldiers eager to return home.

In other words, you’re confused, you don’t follow, or you don’t care to understand what is being said. So, when someone starts talking about something completely unfamiliar to you, you might say in German that you only understand the train station. German I only understand the train stationĮverybody can’t know everything. Literal Translation: I only understand the train station Torben really released the frog from his mouth when he exclaimed his love for bacon at the vegan convention. It can also include when people say something ignorant or offensive. That’s when you say something embarrassing or inappropriate. In Finland, the expression is to let the frog out from your mouth.

As it turns out, many world idioms express a similar sentiment. In English, you might say that someone put their foot in their mouth. Literal Translation: To release the frog from the mouth Feeding sponge cake to a donkey is like treating someone especially well when they neither need or deserve it. This Portuguese idiom illustrates this hypothetical scenario. If you feed a fancy sponge cake to a donkey, it’s probably not going to appreciate it any more than if you fed it a humbler food. And they’re probably satisfied with rather simple things. We may not be able to know for certain, but donkeys probably have pretty simple needs. Literal Translation: Feeding a donkey sponge cake Portuguese: Alimentar um burro a pão-de-ló The online Oxford English Dictionary recognizes “add oil” as Hong Kong English. Meant to encourage the drivers on the track, fans and supporters would tell them to “add oil.” To use an English expression, they were telling the drivers to “step on it” or “put the pedal to the metal.” It’s the equivalent of telling someone to “push harder” and persevere. This Chinese expression traces its origins back to the Macau Grand Prix during the 1960s. Add OilĬhinese: 加油 ( Jia you in Mandarin Ga yau in Cantonese) It can include other difficult or stressful events, like writing an exam. The expression expands beyond live performance too. It’s the equivalent of telling a performer to “break a leg.” In other words, you’re wishing them good luck. Literal Translation: In the mouth of a wolfĬontinuing with the animal-themed idioms from around the world, this Italian idiom goes back to opera houses and live theater. Put another way, you’re saying the circumstances are none of your business. Rather, when you tell someone that it is not your circus and they’re not your monkeys, you’re telling them the situation is not your problem. It’s madness! But, that’s not what this Polish expression is all about. Some households can certainly feel like a three-ring circus at times. Similarly, you wouldn’t want to tell someone who is about to compete in a sporting event to break a leg.Literal Translation: Not my circus, not my monkeys However, if the mood or setting is solemn, serious, or in any way negative, saying break a leg might be considered objectionable.įor instance, if someone you know is going to undergo a serious and dangerous surgery, it would not be appropriate to say break a leg. Mom tells me you’re trying a new recipe today. But you can also hear it in everyday conversations. However, it can’t always take the place of good luck.Īs we already mentioned, you’ll come across the phrase break a leg often in theater and other types of performance art. Yes, break a leg means the same thing as good luck. There are a few other expressions you could use in place of break a leg: Best of luck Blow them away Fingers crossed Godspeed Knock ‘em dead Knock on wood You got this The expression “break a leg” is popular in the theater world. Performers believed that saying good luck would bring bad luck, so they would say break a leg instead. However, it is believed that the expression is rooted in theater. No one knows exactly where and when the phrase break a leg originated. So, if someone tells you to break a leg, don’t worry they’re just wishing you good luck. Break a leg is an English idiom that is used to wish someone good luck, especially in the world of performing arts.īreak a leg is a commonly used idiom that means “good luck.” Remember, an idiom is an expression that means something entirely different from the literal meaning of the words used.

Idiom break a leg