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Translation Dictionary of Idioms
Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2017 11:12 am
by jacob
My google-fu is failing me ... but I'm looking for a dictionary of idioms that shows idioms in different languages along with translations both literally and in terms of meaning.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom#Translating_idioms
Does such a book exist?
Re: Translation Dictionary of Idioms
Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2017 12:57 pm
by Toska2
Urban dictionary? It's used for English-slang.
Re: Translation Dictionary of Idioms
Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:04 pm
by jacob
I'm looking for something like
Swedish: "det är ingen ko på isen så länge rumpan är i land" (there's no cow on the ice as long as its rear-end is on land)
Danish: "der er ingen ko paa isen" (only half of the idiom is used ... maybe because lakes rarely freeze over, literally)
English: N/A but means "Don't worry, it's not critical".
etc.
English: "hot potato" (a controversial and risky issue to be passed along ASAP)
Danish: "varm kartoffel" (same thing)
etc.
I suppose I enjoy aphorisms and idioms as a way to express common human concepts ... and was wondering how they connect between different languages and cultures.
Re: Translation Dictionary of Idioms
Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:36 pm
by jennypenny
DD says there's a TESOL textbook that does almost that (focusing on english obviously) but she can't remember the name of it.
Re: Translation Dictionary of Idioms
Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2017 2:27 pm
by BRUTE
jacob wrote: ↑Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:04 pm
Posts: 9001
over 9000
Re: Translation Dictionary of Idioms
Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2017 3:14 pm
by 7Wannabe5
They do exist. I used to own one that was Arabic to English, and I used to frequently happen upon Yiddish to English variety at book sales. Try using the keywords "sayings" or "wisdom."
Re: Translation Dictionary of Idioms
Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2017 4:54 pm
by Chris
It's won't be complete, but Wiktionary might be helpful:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hot_potato
Re: Translation Dictionary of Idioms
Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2017 7:17 pm
by BRUTE
Re: Translation Dictionary of Idioms
Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 10:36 am
by DSKla
I have only seen these specific to one language per book. For example, I have a book of Cajun French idioms translated into English. For aphorisms, Publilius Syrus is great, and I suppose you could get the original Latin, as well as translations into English and other tongues. A ton of modern English expressions are derived from him.
Re: Translation Dictionary of Idioms
Posted: Sat May 30, 2020 3:18 am
by fiby41
Equivalent to first example could be don't make a mountain out of a moe hill in English and don't make an elephant from a fly in Russian.