This is a thread of phrases similar to “a few sandwiches short of a picnic” from around the world, starting with this one… There’s a colourful old Swedish idiom that goes hjulet snurrar men hamstern är död. It means “the wheel is spinning but the hamster is dead”
It’d be foolish of me not to mention here that my next book is called THE WHEEL IS SPINNING BUT THE HAMSTER IS DEAD: A JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD IN IDIOMS, PROVERBS AND GENERAL NONSENSE. So if you want more idioms like the ones in this thread, please pre-order now (link in my bio)
Another Swedish slang phrase for someone who isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer is “they don’t have all the Russians in the submarine.” There’s also one that translates to “they don’t have all the Finns in the sauna”
@AdamCSharp My favourite German one is "er hat nicht allen Tassen im Schrank"; he doesn't have all the cups in his cupboard :D
@AdamCSharp Any word on a release date in the U.S.? I used to teach English as a new language to adults and we loved talking about idioms and how different they are across languages and cultures❤️
@AdamCSharp Looks like it's not available on US Amazon?
@AdamCSharp Great news Adam!! I’ve pre ordered my copy from Waterstones ✅😄
@AdamCSharp It’s like, the surgery was successful but the patient is dead
@AdamCSharp Great marketing for the new book 📖 😅❤️
@AdamCSharp @brian_bilston Looks great; have pre-ordered
@AdamCSharp It doesn't quite fit, but there are several colorful phrases in Greek that are of the same idea. One of my favorites, which basically means to keep watch over your surroundings : "τα μάτια σου δεκατέσσερα" , which literally translates to "your eyes fourteen". 🙂
@AdamCSharp I would love to get your book but it’s not available.
@AdamCSharp You, sir, are the idiom.
@AdamCSharp Did you include the origin of "oso, oso, mentiroso"? Do you know it, because I think I found it.