“To have a wide face”, “to feed the donkey sponge cake”, “to give someone pumpkins” or “to ride as a hare”. All this expressions apparently make no sense in English. But in other languages they really mean something. Thanks to Marcus Oakley’s illustrations, it becomes easier to understand some funny and odd little phrases. The different artworks highlight the linguistic richness of each country. His series of ten illustrated idioms from across the globe explores the world in all its linguistic glory.
May be it can help you during your next vacation…
1-Language: Italian
Translation:In bocca al lupo
Meaning: Good luck!
2-Language: Polish
Translation: Nie mój cyrk, nie moje malpy
Meaning: Not my problem
3-Language: Japanese
Translation: Kao ga hiro i
Meaning: To have many friends
4-Language: French
Translation: Le démon de midi
Meaning: To have a midlife crisis
5-Language: Portuguese
Translation: Alimentar um burro a pão-de-ló
Meaning: To give good treatment to someone who doesn’t need it
6-Language: German
Translation: Katzensprung
Meaning: A short distance away
7-Language: Spanish
Translation: Dar calabazas a alguien
Meaning: To reject somebody
8-Language: Russian
Translation: Exatj zajcem
Meaning: To travel without a ticket
9-Language: Finnish
Translation: Päästää sammakko suusta
Meaning: To say the wrong thing
10-Language: Danish
Translation: At have en pind i øret
Meaning: To not listen to someone