Laugh a Little

Sayings and idioms are part of what make languages fun, surprising and unique, and they often say a lot about the culture that they come from. Below are some of the best and strangest Norwegian sayings – sit down comfortably in the middle of the butter eye, bury your battle axes and write one or two of these behind your ear.

Å ha bein i nesa

Translation: To have bones in your nose Meaning: To be determined and capable.

Jeg har en høne å plukke med deg

Translation: I have a hen to pluck with you Meaning: To have an issue with someone that you want to discuss with them.

Å være født bak en brunost

Translation: To be born behind a brown cheese Meaning: To be senseless.

Å være midt i smørøyet

Translation: To be in the middle of the butter eye Meaning: To be in a great place (the smørøye is the lovely buttery hollow left by the melting scoop of butter atop a warm bowl of porridge such as risgrøt).

Å koka bort i kålen

Translation: To boil away/into nothing in the cabbage Meaning: When an idea or plan comes to nothing through waffling. It is thought to come from meat being reduced to nothing when cooked in cabbage stew for a long time.

Å tråkke i salaten

Translation: To step in the salad Meaning: To make a faux pas.

Å grave ned stridsøksen

Translation: To bury the battle axe Meaning: To bury the hatchet. And similarly…

Å røyke fredspipe

Translation: To smoke a peace pipe Meaning: To make up with someone following a disagreement.

Å være pling i bollen

Translation: To be a ping in the bowl an empty bowl makes when you tap it).

Å få blod på tannen

Translation: To get blood on your tooth Meaning: To become inspired/driven to do

something.

Å stå med skjegget i postkassa

Translation: To stand with your beard in the post box Meaning: To have ended up in a bad situation, possibly scammed into it.

Man skal ikke skue hunden på hårene

Translation: You shouldn’t judge the dog on its hairs

Meaning: You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

Å skrive noe bak øret

Translation: To write something behind the ear Meaning: To make a mental note of something.

Å snake rett fra leveren

Translation: To speak directly from the liver Meaning: To speak plainly/truthfully without sugar-coating.

Der er ugler i mosen

Translation: There are owls in the bog Meaning: There is something secretive/sinister about a situation.

Å ta beina på nakken

Translation: To put your legs on your neck Meaning: To run away from something.

Å ha en finger med i spillet

Translation: To have a finger included in the game Meaning: To play a part in something (often sneaky).

Det er helt Texas!

Translation: That’s completely Texas! Meaning: That’s crazy! (From associations with the Wild West from old Western

movies.) Meaning: To be empty-headed (from the “ping” -like noise

Editor’s Note: My father used to say (in English) “I’m so mad I can’t see the butter on the wall”. As a child I never saw the butter either so I just assumed I was mad too!