bha siud ann uaireigin

Bha siud ann uaireigin duine a bha...

(literally, “Once there was a man who was...”)

Once upon a time there was a man who was...

(used at the beginnings of fairytales) once upon a time


I don't eat meat

Indicates that the speaker does not eat meat.


I beg your pardon

“Not like cats!” cried the Mouse, in a shrill, passionate voice. “Would you like cats if you were me?”
“Well, perhaps not,” said Alice in a soothing tone: “don’t be angry about it. And yet I wish I could show you our cat Dinah: I think you’d take a fancy to cats if you could only see her. She is such a dear quiet thing,” Alice went on, half to herself, as she swam lazily about in the pool, “and she sits purring so nicely by the fire, licking her paws and washing her face—and she is such a nice soft thing to nurse—and she’s such a capital one for catching mice⸺oh, I beg your pardon!” cried Alice again, for this time the Mouse was bristling all over, and she felt certain it must be really offended. “We won’t talk about her any more if you’d rather not.”

1865 November (indicated as 1866), Lewis Carroll [pseudonym; Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], “The Pool of Tears”, in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, London: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, pages 25–27:

York got down and said very respectfully, "I beg your pardon, my lady, but these horses have not been reined up for three years, and my lord said it would be safer to bring them to it by degrees; but if your ladyship pleases, I can take them up a little more."

[1877], Anna Sewell, “Earlshall”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part II, pages 104–105:

(literally) Used to express an apology for an action.

"We were talking of the man whom my mother one day caused to exist, and created gardener at Saint-Omer. She gave him a name. Henceforth he acted."
"I beg your pardon, sir?" said Monsieur Goubin, wiping his eye-glasses. "Do you mind saying that over again?"
"Willingly," replied Monsieur Bergeret. "There was no gardener. The gardener did not exist. My mother said: 'I expect the gardener!' Straightway the gardener existed—and acted."

1915, Anatole France, Crainquebille, Putois, Riquet and other profitable tales, translated by Winfred Stephens Monsieur Gobin and Monsieur Jean Marteau came in. Monsieur Bergeret told them the subject of the conversation

Used to request something, for example if a statement was not heard.

Used to ask for clarification of something said if it is unexpected, odd or seen as rude without context.


я гностик

head

я гно́стик • (ja gnóstik)

я гно́стик (canonical)
ja gnóstik (romanization)


я мусульманка

я мусульма́нка

я мусульма́нка • (ja musulʹmánka)

я мусульма́нка (canonical)
ja musulʹmánka (romanization)


я мусульманин

я мусульма́нин

я мусульма́нин • (ja musulʹmánin)

я мусульма́нин (canonical)
ja musulʹmánin (romanization)


я христианка

я христиа́нка

я христиа́нка • (ja xristiánka)

я христиа́нка (canonical)
ja xristiánka (romanization)


я христианин

я христиани́н

я христиани́н • (ja xristianín)

я христиани́н (canonical)
ja xristianín (romanization)


я атеист

я атеи́ст • (ja atɛíst) m

я атеи́ст (canonical)
ja atɛíst (romanization)


я атеистка

я атеи́стка • (ja ateístka)

я атеи́стка (canonical)
ja ateístka (romanization)


я не религиозный человек

я не религио́зный челове́к

я не религио́зный челове́к • (ja ne religióznyj čelovék)

я не религио́зный челове́к (canonical)
ja ne religióznyj čelovék (romanization)

[ja nʲɪ‿rʲɪlʲɪɡʲɪˈoznɨj t͡ɕɪɫɐˈvʲek]

I'm not religious (lit. I'm not a religious person)

en-я_не_религиозный_человек-ru-phrase-W3mcODt-


вы верите в Бога

вы ве́рите в Бо́га?

вы ве́рите в Бо́га? • (vy vérite v Bóga?)

вы ве́рите в Бо́га (canonical)
vy vérite v Bóga? (romanization)

do you believe in God
do you believe in God


ты веришь в Бога

ты ве́ришь в Бо́га?

ты ве́ришь в Бо́га? • (ty vérišʹ v Bóga?)

ты ве́ришь в Бо́га (canonical)
ty vérišʹ v Bóga? (romanization)

[tɨ ˈvʲerʲɪʐ ˈv‿boɡə]


perstat

(medicine) (The condition under discussion) persists.

Alternative spelling of the military acronym PERSTAT


ευτυχισμένος ο καινούριος χρόνος

ευτυχισμένος ο καινούριος χρόνος • (eftychisménos o kainoúrios chrónos)

eftychisménos o kainoúrios chrónos (romanization)

en-ευτυχισμένος_ο_καινούριος_χρόνος-el-phrase-0rhfpqIx


estic refredada

ca-phrase

estic refredada f (masculine estic refredat)


estic constipada

estic constipada f (masculine estic refredat)


soc vegetariana

soc vegetariana f (masculine soc vegetarià)


soc vegetarià

soc vegetarià m (feminine soc vegetariana)


no parlo anglès

I don't speak English
I don't speak English


estic perduda

estic perduda f (masculine estic perdut)


on puc trobar un hotel

where can I find a hotel
where can I find a hotel


com arribo a l'aeroport

how do I get to the airport
how do I get to the airport


com arribo a l'estació de trens

how do I get to the train station
how do I get to the train station


мне нужна твоя помощь

head

мне нужна́ твоя́ по́мощь

мне нужна́ твоя́ по́мощь • (mne nužná tvojá pómoščʹ)

мне нужна́ твоя́ по́мощь (canonical)
mne nužná tvojá pómoščʹ (romanization)

en-мне_нужна_твоя_помощь-ru-phrase-MoQsx7qc


com arribo a l'estació d'autobusos

[ˈkɔm əˈri.βu ə l‿əs.tə.siˈo ˌð‿aw.tuˈβu.zus]

[ˈkɔm əˈri.bo ə l‿əs.tə.siˈo ˌð‿aw.tuˈbu.zos]

[ˈkom aˈri.bo a l‿es.ta.siˈo ˌð‿aw.toˈbu.zos]

how do I get to the bus station
how do I get to the bus station


мне нужна ваша помощь

мне нужна́ ва́ша по́мощь

мне нужна́ ва́ша по́мощь • (mne nužná váša pómoščʹ)

мне нужна́ ва́ша по́мощь (canonical)
mne nužná váša pómoščʹ (romanization)

en-мне_нужна_ваша_помощь-ru-phrase-MoQsx7qc


cap a on va aquest tren

where does this train go
where does this train go


cap a on va aquest autobús

where does this bus go
where does this bus go


first annual

(idiomatic) Being the first occurrence of an event that is scheduled or hoped to become annual.

(somewhat rare) Being the second occurrence of an annual event, that is, the first occurrence that is indeed annual.


QEF

From Latin quod erat faciendum (“what was to have been done”), from Ancient Greek ὅπερ ἔδει ποιῆσαι (hóper édei poiêsai).

uder

ὅπερ ἔδει ποιῆσαι

“quod erat faciendum”, “what was to have been done” – used to end a mathematical passage other than a proof.


to hell with

"I don't want an elephant's soul, or any soul at all!" he said. For a few moments he sat despondently. Suddenly he jumped to his feet, with his eyes blazing and all the signs of intense cerebral excitement. "To hell with you and your souls!" he shouted. "Why do you plague me about souls? Haven't I got enough to worry, and pain, and distract me already, without thinking of souls!"

1897, Bram Stoker, “Dr. Seward’s Diary”, in Dracula, New York, N.Y.: Modern Library, →OCLC, chapter XX, page 299:

Yes, it would be dangerous to get too carried away but right here, right now, to hell with anyone who insists it is time for restraint.

2018 July 3, Daniel Taylor, “England knock Colombia out of World Cup in last-16 penalty shootout”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2018-07-04:

(mildly vulgar) Used to show displeasure or disregard toward the named person or thing.

dă-o dracului f + de (name of thing or person)

dă-o naibii f + de (name of thing or person)

dă-l dracului m + de (name of thing or person)

dă-l naibii m + de (name of thing or person)

la dracu' + cu (name of thing or person)


JWTK

(Internet slang, rare) Initialism of just wanted to know.


by way of

From Shakespeare to Milton by way of the English Bible, our language has been shaped by humanist ideas.

Intensity was more usually reached by way of the solemn than by way of the brilliant.

1878, Thomas Hardy, chapter 1, in The Return of the Native:

“I always go over the wall, by way of the plum tree,” said Matilda.

1914, Saki (pseudonym; H. H. Munro), “The Boar-Pig”, in Beasts and Super-Beasts:

In 1919, demobilisation specials from Purfleet, Essex, to the North, usually made up of nondescript, almost paintless or grey stock which had seen long wartime service, chalked with slogans, were worked through by way of Bromley and the North London line […].

1950 April, R. A. H. Weight, “They Passed by My Window”, in Railway Magazine, pages 258-259:

My name is Elle Woods, Boston by way of Bel Air.

2003, Kate Kondell (screenplay), Legally Blonde 2 (motion picture), spoken by Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon):

By way of apology, he tried to be gallant.

By way of qualification, I should point out that…

Thus much may serve by way of proem: / Proceed we therefore to our poem.

1731, Jonathan Swift, On the Death of Dr. Swift:

Why they hesitated I never could tell, unless they did it by way of a joke.

By way of contrast there is an air of finality about the closure of the Welsh Highland Railway.

1949 November and December, “Notes and News: Festiniog and Welsh Highland Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 409:

“So what's new in the whiskey business?” one of the fat men finally says by way of welcome, […]

1968, Joan Didion, “On Keeping a Notebook”, in Slouching Towards Bethlehem:

Considerable work had to be done by way of repairs and replacement of bricks and woodwork (doors, floors, skirtings and panelling) where these were too far gone to be salvageable, including reprofiling to match originals.

2023 December 13, Robin Leleux, “Restored... and a richly deserved award: Cullybackey”, in RAIL, number 998, page 39:

For the purpose of; as a means of; as an instance of; as a type or form of.

kautta

for the purpose of, as a means or instance of

Thoreau, too, come to think of it, was, by way of being a prophet, a pioneer in this Emancipation of Man from Bothery.

1898, H. G. Wells, “The Trouble of Life”, in Certain Personal Matters, pages 16–17:

"From what you tell me, he's by way of being the brains of the family."

1921, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Springtime:

(UK, often followed by being) Possessing the characteristics, nature, or standing of; in the state or condition of.

par le fait de

possessing the characteristics, nature, or standing of


NTBCW

Stamps aren't worth much with holes in them, but I think they've even stopped using hinges (NTBCW henges) these days.

2008, Adam Funk, “Bear, a Magdalenian test case”, in sci.lang (Usenet):


the lady doth protest too much

An allusion to Shakespeare's Hamlet, where the line is spoken by Queen Gertrude, Hamlet's mother. In the play, "protest" is used to mean "insist that what one is saying is true" (in this case, the Player Queen's protestations of love), not "insist that what another is saying is false."

In all Penelope's devotion to her husband there is an ever present sense that the lady doth protest too much.

1897, Samuel Butler, The Authoress of the Odyssey:

a hit dog will holler
a hit dog will holler

It is suspected that, because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite of what he or she is saying must be true; a hit dog will holler.

because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true

as-sayyida(t) taʕtariḍu ʔakṯar min al-lāzim

السَّيِّدَة تَعْتَرِضُ أَكْثَر مِن اللَّازِم

se koira älähtää, johon kalikka kalahtaa

ledi dejstvitelʹno sliškom mnogo vystupajet.

леди действительно слишком много выступает.

the lady doth protest too much, methinks


the cure is worse than the disease

From Latin aegrescit medendo (literally “it worsens with healing”) attributed to Virgil in book XII of the Aeneid.

der

The medical treatment for an illness produces a worse net result than the illness does (or threatens a non-negligible risk of doing so), especially via adverse effects.

Regarding the repeal of the Glass-Steagall act and other repeals of financial regulations, or even in legislating new financial regulations, you have to be careful that the cure is not worse than the disease.

2014-06-11, Robert Johnson The Real News Network

(figuratively) The solution or proposed solution to a problem produces a worse net result than the problem does (or threatens a non-negligible risk of doing so), especially via unintended consequences.

qaş düzəltmək əvəzinə göz çıxarmaq

The solution to a problem produces a worse net result


德才兼備

ㄉㄜˊ ㄘㄞˊ ㄐㄧㄢ ㄅㄟˋ

дэцайцзяньбэй

/tɤ³⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ peɪ̯⁵¹/

/tɤ³⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ peɪ̯⁵¹/

having both talents and morals; having both ability and integrity


半真半假

ㄅㄢˋ ㄓㄣ ㄅㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄚˇ

баньчжэньбаньцзя

/pän⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂən⁵⁵ pän⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/puːn³³ t͡sɐn⁵⁵ puːn³³ kaː³⁵/

/pän⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂən⁵⁵ pän⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/puːn³³ t͡sɐn⁵⁵ puːn³³ kaː³⁵/

half true half false, not sincere or truthful, elusive


德藝雙馨

ㄉㄜˊ ㄧˋ ㄕㄨㄤ ㄒㄧㄣ

/tɤ³⁵ i⁵¹ ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/tɐk̚⁵ ŋɐi̯²² sœːŋ⁵⁵ hɪŋ⁵⁵/

/tɤ³⁵ i⁵¹ ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/tɐk̚⁵ ŋɐi̯²² sœːŋ⁵⁵ hɪŋ⁵⁵/

being reputable for having both artistic skills and morals (especially when referring to an artist of any domain)


八拜之交

ㄅㄚ ㄅㄞˋ ㄓ ㄐㄧㄠ

бабайчжицзяо

/pä⁵⁵ paɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/paːt̚³ paːi̯³³ t͡siː⁵⁵ kaːu̯⁵⁵/

/pä⁵⁵ paɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/paːt̚³ paːi̯³³ t͡siː⁵⁵ kaːu̯⁵⁵/

This is derived from an ancient meeting etiquette where the younger members of a family or a community request to meet with the elders.

sworn brotherhood; intimacy of relations between platonic friends


貪得無厭

ㄊㄢ ㄉㄜˊ ㄨˊ ㄧㄢˋ

/tʰän⁵⁵ tɤ³⁵ u³⁵ jɛn⁵¹/

/tʰaːm⁵⁵ tɐk̚⁵ mou̯²¹ jiːm³³/

/tʰän⁵⁵ tɤ³⁵ u³⁵ jɛn⁵¹/

/tʰaːm⁵⁵ tɐk̚⁵ mou̯²¹ jiːm³³/

avaricious; greedy; not able to settle for less


得意洋洋

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (得意洋洋):
* → Korean: 득의양양(得意揚揚) (deuguiyang'yang)

ㄉㄜˊ ㄧˋ ㄧㄤˊ ㄧㄤˊ

/tɤ³⁵ i⁵¹ jɑŋ³⁵ jɑŋ³⁵/

/tɐk̚⁵ jiː³³ jœːŋ²¹ jœːŋ²¹/

/tɤ³⁵ i⁵¹ jɑŋ³⁵ jɑŋ³⁵/

/tɐk̚⁵ jiː³³ jœːŋ²¹ jœːŋ²¹/


歪七豎八

ㄨㄞ ㄑㄧ ㄕㄨˋ ㄅㄚ

/waɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ ʂu⁵¹ pä⁵⁵/

/waːi̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐt̚⁵ syː²² paːt̚³/

/waɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ ʂu⁵¹ pä⁵⁵/

/waːi̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐt̚⁵ syː²² paːt̚³/

not straight or upright; twisted or slanted in different ways


暗箭傷人

to hurt someone with an arrow shot from the dark

ㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄕㄤ ㄖㄣˊ

аньцзяньшанжэнь

/ˀän⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʂɑŋ⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵/

/ɐm³³ t͡siːn³³ sœːŋ⁵⁵ jɐn²¹/

/ˀän⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʂɑŋ⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵/

/ɐm³³ t͡siːn³³ sœːŋ⁵⁵ jɐn²¹/

to injure someone with unscrupulous or underhand means; to backstab


IDR

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of I don't remember (or recall).

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of I don't really (know, find, etc.).


得過且過

ㄉㄜˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄑㄧㄝˇ ㄍㄨㄛˋ

/tɤ³⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯ɔ⁵¹/

/tɐk̚⁵ kʷɔː³³ t͡sʰɛː³⁵ kʷɔː³³/

/tɤ³⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯ɔ⁵¹/

/tɐk̚⁵ kʷɔː³³ t͡sʰɛː³⁵ kʷɔː³³/

to muddle along; to drift along; to be perfunctory with one's work; to get by however one can


得隴望蜀

ㄉㄜˊ ㄌㄨㄥˇ ㄨㄤˋ ㄕㄨˇ

/tɤ³⁵ lʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ wɑŋ⁵¹ ʂu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/tɐk̚⁵ lʊŋ¹³ mɔːŋ²² sʊk̚²/

/tɤ³⁵ lʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ wɑŋ⁵¹ ʂu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/tɐk̚⁵ lʊŋ¹³ mɔːŋ²² sʊk̚²/

(Emperor) Wu of Wei said: "Men suffer from insatiability, already having Longyou yet still wanting to get Shu!"

Wèi Wǔ yuē: “Rén kǔ wúzú, jì dé Lǒngyòu, fù yù dé Shǔ!”

魏武曰：「人苦無足，既得隴右，復欲得蜀！」

魏武曰：「人苦无足，既得陇右，复欲得蜀！」

Xiangyun laughed and said: "Already having Long yet still wanting Shu; it's only human nature."

Cao Xueqin, Dream of the Red Chamber, mid-18ᵗʰ century CE

Xiāngyún xiào dào: “Délǒngwàngshǔ, rénzhīchángqíng.”

湘雲笑道：「得隴望蜀，人之常情。」

湘云笑道：「得陇望蜀，人之常情。」


百花齊放

ㄅㄞˇ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄑㄧˊ ㄈㄤˋ

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ä⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ fɑŋ⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ faː⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐi̯²¹ fɔːŋ³³/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ä⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ fɑŋ⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ faː⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐi̯²¹ fɔːŋ³³/

many different sorts of flowers bloom simultaneously

(figuratively) a variety of different artistic styles flourish at the same time


破爛不堪

ㄆㄛˋ ㄌㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄢ

поланьбукань

/pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ län⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ kʰän⁵⁵/

/pʰɔː³³ laːn²² pɐt̚⁵ hɐm⁵⁵/

/pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ län⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ kʰän⁵⁵/

/pʰɔː³³ laːn²² pɐt̚⁵ hɐm⁵⁵/

so tattered and torn (especially said of clothing) that it is totally unacceptable to present oneself in public in such a state


破鏡重圓

desc

→ Vietnamese: gương vỡ lại lành (calque)

ㄆㄛˋ ㄐㄧㄥˋ ㄔㄨㄥˊ ㄩㄢˊ

поцзинчунъюань

/pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵/

/pʰɔː³³ kɛːŋ³³ t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ jyːn²¹/

/pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵/

/pʰɔː³³ kɛːŋ³³ t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ jyːn²¹/

Literally: to repair a broken mirror so that it is whole again

to be reunited after a long period of separation (said of a couple)


金蟬脫殼

金蝉脱壳
金蟬脱殼
脫殼金蟬

like a cicada coming out of its shed skin

ㄐㄧㄣ ㄔㄢˊ ㄊㄨㄛ ㄑㄧㄠˋ

ㄐㄧㄣ ㄔㄢˊ ㄊㄨㄛ ㄎㄜˊ

цзиньчаньтоцяо

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰän³⁵ tʰu̯ɔ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

цзиньчаньтокэ

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰän³⁵ tʰu̯ɔ⁵⁵ kʰɤ³⁵/

/kim³³⁻²³ siam⁵⁵⁻¹¹ tʰuk̚²⁻⁴ kʰak⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰän³⁵ tʰu̯ɔ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰän³⁵ tʰu̯ɔ⁵⁵ kʰɤ³⁵/

/kim³³⁻²³ siam⁵⁵⁻¹¹ tʰuk̚²⁻⁴ kʰak⁵⁵/

to be able to escape from a (normally sticky) situation without other pertinent parties noticing it


同歸於盡

ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄍㄨㄟ ㄩˊ ㄐㄧㄣˋ

тунгуйюйцзинь

/tʰʊŋ³⁵ ku̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ y³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵¹/

/tʰʊŋ²¹ kʷɐi̯⁵⁵ jyː⁵⁵ t͡sɵn²²/

/tɔŋ²⁴⁻²² kui⁴⁴⁻²² i²⁴⁻²² t͡sin²²/

/tɔŋ²⁴⁻²² kui³³ i²⁴⁻²² t͡sin⁴¹/

/tɔŋ¹³⁻²² kui⁴⁴⁻²² i¹³⁻²² t͡sin²²/

/tɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ kui⁴⁴⁻³³ i²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sin³³/

/tɔŋ²³⁻³³ kui⁴⁴⁻³³ i²³⁻³³ t͡sin³³/

/tʰʊŋ³⁵ ku̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ y³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵¹/

/tʰʊŋ²¹ kʷɐi̯⁵⁵ jyː⁵⁵ t͡sɵn²²/

/tɔŋ²⁴⁻²² kui⁴⁴⁻²² i²⁴⁻²² t͡sin²²/

/tɔŋ²⁴⁻²² kui³³ i²⁴⁻²² t͡sin⁴¹/

/tɔŋ¹³⁻²² kui⁴⁴⁻²² i¹³⁻²² t͡sin²²/

/tɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ kui⁴⁴⁻³³ i²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sin³³/

/tɔŋ²³⁻³³ kui⁴⁴⁻³³ i²³⁻³³ t͡sin³³/


魚死網破

the fish are dead, the fishnet is broken

ㄩˊ ㄙˇ ㄨㄤˇ ㄆㄛˋ

/y³⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻³⁵ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/jyː²¹ sei̯³⁵ mɔːŋ¹³ pʰɔː³³/

/y³⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻³⁵ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/jyː²¹ sei̯³⁵ mɔːŋ¹³ pʰɔː³³/

Tā jiùshì zhāngwǎng bǔyú, wǒ yě pīn tā ge yúsǐwǎngpò.

他就是張網捕魚，我也拼他個魚死網破。

他就是张网捕鱼，我也拼他个鱼死网破。

to fight till both you and your foe perish


聲東擊西

to make a feint to the east but attack in the west

ㄕㄥ ㄉㄨㄥ ㄐㄧ ㄒㄧ

ㄕㄥ ㄉㄨㄥ ㄐㄧˊ ㄒㄧ

/ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ tʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵/

/ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ tʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵ ɕi⁵⁵/

/sɪŋ⁵⁵ tʊŋ⁵⁵ kɪk̚⁵ sɐi̯⁵⁵/

/sĩã³³⁻²³ taŋ³³⁻²³ kʰek̚²⁻⁴ sai³³/

/ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ tʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵/

/ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ tʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵ ɕi⁵⁵/

/sɪŋ⁵⁵ tʊŋ⁵⁵ kɪk̚⁵ sɐi̯⁵⁵/

/sĩã³³⁻²³ taŋ³³⁻²³ kʰek̚²⁻⁴ sai³³/

(military) during a battle, to create the illusion of assaulting a target, while the true goal is to assault another target where it's least expected

(by extension, figuratively) to confuse someone in order to conceal the real motive behind something


don't mind if I do

Would you like a biscuit? ― Don't mind if I do!

(informal) Used to express acceptance of something offered to the speaker.

好的

used to express acceptance of something offered to the speaker


聲名狼藉

ㄕㄥ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄌㄤˊ ㄐㄧˊ

шэнминланцзи

/ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ miŋ³⁵ lɑŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵/

/sɪŋ⁵⁵ mɪŋ²¹ lɔːŋ²¹ t͡sɪk̚²/

/ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ miŋ³⁵ lɑŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵/

/sɪŋ⁵⁵ mɪŋ²¹ lɔːŋ²¹ t͡sɪk̚²/

infamous; having an extremely bad reputation


泰然自若

ㄊㄞˋ ㄖㄢˊ ㄗˋ ㄖㄨㄛˋ

тайжаньцзыжо

/tʰaɪ̯⁵¹ ʐän³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/tʰaɪ̯⁵¹ ʐän³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹/

being calm and composed even under the most stubborn and difficult of situations


若無其事

ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄨˊ ㄑㄧˊ ㄕˋ

/ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/jœːk̚² mou̯²¹ kʰei̯²¹ siː²²/

/ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/jœːk̚² mou̯²¹ kʰei̯²¹ siː²²/

calm; composed; uncaring; impervious; nonchalant


東逃西竄

ㄉㄨㄥ ㄊㄠˊ ㄒㄧ ㄘㄨㄢˋ

дунтаосицуань

/tʊŋ⁵⁵ tʰɑʊ̯³⁵ ɕi⁵⁵ t͡sʰu̯än⁵¹/

/tʊŋ⁵⁵ tʰɑʊ̯³⁵ ɕi⁵⁵ t͡sʰu̯än⁵¹/

to scurry from place to place, especially when being chased (such as a rat)

(by extension) (of a criminal) to be on the run


大搖大擺

ㄉㄚˋ ㄧㄠˊ ㄉㄚˋ ㄅㄞˇ

/tä⁵¹ jɑʊ̯³⁵ tä⁵¹ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/taːi̯²² jiːu̯²¹ taːi̯²² paːi̯³⁵/

/tä⁵¹ jɑʊ̯³⁵ tä⁵¹ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/taːi̯²² jiːu̯²¹ taːi̯²² paːi̯³⁵/

walking with an air of arrogance and nonchalance


東奔西竄

ㄉㄨㄥ ㄅㄣ ㄒㄧ ㄘㄨㄢˋ

дунбэньсицуань

/tʊŋ⁵⁵ pən⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵ t͡sʰu̯än⁵¹/

/tʊŋ⁵⁵ pən⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵ t͡sʰu̯än⁵¹/

東逃西竄 東逃西竄#Chinese

东逃西窜 东逃西窜#Chinese

Alternative form of 東逃西竄／东逃西窜 (dōngtáoxīcuàn)


西裝革履

ㄒㄧ ㄓㄨㄤ ㄍㄜˊ ㄌㄩˇ

сичжуангэлюй

/ɕi⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ kɤ³⁵ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sɐi̯⁵⁵ t͡sɔːŋ⁵⁵ kaːk̚³ lei̯¹³/

/ɕi⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ kɤ³⁵ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sɐi̯⁵⁵ t͡sɔːŋ⁵⁵ kaːk̚³ lei̯¹³/


百年好合

ㄅㄞˇ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄏㄠˇ ㄏㄜˊ

байняньхаохэ

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ni̯ɛn³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xɤ³⁵/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ni̯ɛn³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xɤ³⁵/

conjugal felicity; long-lasting harmonious union (of a couple) staying in love for the rest of their lives, for better or worse (usually said during a wedding ceremony)


百折不撓

ㄅㄞˇ ㄓㄜˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄋㄠˊ

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ³⁵ pu⁵¹ nɑʊ̯³⁵/

/paːk̚³ t͡siːt̚³ pɐt̚⁵ naːu̯²¹/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ³⁵ pu⁵¹ nɑʊ̯³⁵/

/paːk̚³ t͡siːt̚³ pɐt̚⁵ naːu̯²¹/

indomitable; unfazed by difficulties or challenges; (slightly derogatory) stubborn; persistent


不由分說

ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄡˊ ㄈㄣ ㄕㄨㄛ

/pu⁵¹ joʊ̯³⁵ fən⁵⁵ ʂu̯ɔ⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jɐu̯²¹ fɐn⁵⁵ syːt̚³/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iu²³⁻³³ hun⁴⁴⁻³³ sueʔ³²/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iu²⁴⁻¹¹ hun⁴⁴⁻³³ seʔ³²/

/pu⁵¹ joʊ̯³⁵ fən⁵⁵ ʂu̯ɔ⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jɐu̯²¹ fɐn⁵⁵ syːt̚³/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iu²³⁻³³ hun⁴⁴⁻³³ sueʔ³²/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iu²⁴⁻¹¹ hun⁴⁴⁻³³ seʔ³²/

to allow no expectation; without listening to somebody's protests; despite objections


џаба сте кречили

sh-idiom

џа̏ба сте кре́чили

џа̏ба сте кре́чили (Latin spelling džȁba ste kréčili)

џа̏ба сте кре́чили (canonical)
džȁba ste kréčili (romanization)

Literally: "futile was your painting". Originally this would be a graffiti written on a freshly-painted wall.


head

en-au-don't let the door hit you on the way out.ogg

(idiomatic, derogatory) Used as a command to leave or to indicate that one is glad, or at least unmoved, to see the addressed person leaving.

used to indicate that one is glad to see someone leaving

ска́тертью доро́га (skátertʹju doróga, literally “let the road be like a table-cloth”)

ба́ба с во́зу — кобы́ле ле́гче (bába s vózu — kobýle léxče, literally “when a woman leaves the cart, the mare feels easier”)

закро́й дверь с обра́тной стороны́ (zakrój dverʹ s obrátnoj storoný, literally “close the door from the reverse side”)

don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you


one for all, all for one

Each individual should act for the benefit of the group, and the group should act for the benefit of each individual.

一人は皆の為に、皆は一人の為に

ひとり は みな の ため に、みな は ひとり の ため に, hitori wa mina no tame ni, mina wa hitori no tame ni


che sera sera

Why then belike we must sin, / And so consequently die. / Aye, we must die an everlasting death. / What doctrine call you this ? Che, sera, sera: / What will be*, shall be; Divinity adieu. / These Metaphysics of Magicians, / And necromantic books, are heavenly.

1604, Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus:


che sara sara

→ Italian: che sarà, sarà

/ˈkeɪ səˌɹɑː səˈɹɑː/

First constructed in the 16th century for English heraldic mottos, and notably quoted as che sera sera by Christopher Marlowe in his 1604 play Doctor Faustus (Act 1, Scene 1). From standard Italian quel che sarà, sarà (“what will be, will be”), ignoring the correct spelling and grammar (according to which a pronoun such as quel, quello or ciò is compulsorily needed at the very beginning of the sentence).
Popularized by the 1956 song “Que Sera, Sera”, which adopted a Spanish-like spelling.

bor

All serve to show that all things are possible to us, provided we are not content to fold our bands and cry with the fatalists “Che Sara Sara”.

1892 March 17, Cigarette, “Giant Discontent”, in Otago Witness:

Is it a phase of old world fatalism that prompts the Englishman to breathe “Che sara sara,” don the colours of the side he thinks will win instead of that he wishes to, and be cheerful?

Used to express a personal philosophy of fatalism and acceptance of the future.

Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)


剩水殘山

ㄕㄥˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄘㄢˊ ㄕㄢ

шэн шуй цань шань

/ʂɤŋ⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰän³⁵ ʂän⁵⁵/

/ʂɤŋ⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰän³⁵ ʂän⁵⁵/


ravno do mora

sh-idiom

rȃvno dȍ móra (Cyrillic spelling ра̑вно до̏ мо́ра)

rȃvno dȍ móra (canonical)
ра̑вно до̏ мо́ра (Cyrillic)

Riješio sam problem i sada mi je sve ravno do mora.

I solved a problem and I am not concerned anymore.


don't make me laugh

Humiliated, Wood said, "I shouldn't have brought it up. I'll collect that money without you. Me and Carney will take care of the ranger."
"Carney Blake? Don't make me laugh." Rose chuckled, his hand still extended for payment. "He's been down drunk all summer. He'll be lucky if he doesn't shoot himself."

2006, Ralph Cotton, Gunfight at Cold Devil:

(informal) Used to express that one cannot take a suggestion seriously.


you've got to laugh

The army teaches you to rely on yourself. It teaches you a whole lot of crap, like that some of those guys are real arseholes, and wouldn't stand a chance in the outside world. But you've got to laugh at that, man. It doesn't matter. It teaches you not to give a damn about anything, that nothing really matters.

Used when somebody sees the funny side to a tough situation, to remind not to take things so seriously.


ckoi

(Internet slang, text messaging) Abbreviation of c’est quoi ? (“what is?”).


puhuuko kukaan täällä englantia

does anyone here speak English
does anyone here speak English


風餐露宿

to dine on the wind and sleep among the dew

ㄈㄥ ㄘㄢ ㄌㄨˋ ㄙㄨˋ

/fɤŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰän⁵⁵ lu⁵¹⁻⁵³ su⁵¹/

/fʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰaːn⁵⁵ lou̯²² sʊk̚⁵/

/huaŋ³³⁻²³ t͡sʰaŋ³³⁻²³ lou¹¹ suaʔ²/

/fɤŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰän⁵⁵ lu⁵¹⁻⁵³ su⁵¹/

/fʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰaːn⁵⁵ lou̯²² sʊk̚⁵/

/huaŋ³³⁻²³ t͡sʰaŋ³³⁻²³ lou¹¹ suaʔ²/

to endure the hardship of living and travelling out in the wild


全軍覆沒

ㄑㄩㄢˊ ㄐㄩㄣ ㄈㄨˋ ㄇㄛˋ

цюаньцзюньфумо

/t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵ fu⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰyːn²¹ kʷɐn⁵⁵ fʊk̚⁵ muːt̚²/

/t͡suan²⁴⁻²² kun⁴⁴⁻²² hɔk̚³²⁻⁴ but̚⁴/

/t͡suan²⁴⁻²² kun³³ hɔk̚⁵⁻²⁴ but̚²⁴/

/t͡suan¹³⁻²² kun⁴⁴⁻²² hɔk̚³²⁻⁵ but̚¹²¹/

/t͡suan²⁴⁻¹¹ kun⁴⁴⁻³³ hɔk̚³²⁻⁴ but̚⁴/

/t͡suan²³⁻³³ kun⁴⁴⁻³³ hɔk̚³²⁻⁴ but̚⁴/

/t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵ fu⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰyːn²¹ kʷɐn⁵⁵ fʊk̚⁵ muːt̚²/

/t͡suan²⁴⁻²² kun⁴⁴⁻²² hɔk̚³²⁻⁴ but̚⁴/

/t͡suan²⁴⁻²² kun³³ hɔk̚⁵⁻²⁴ but̚²⁴/

/t͡suan¹³⁻²² kun⁴⁴⁻²² hɔk̚³²⁻⁵ but̚¹²¹/

/t͡suan²⁴⁻¹¹ kun⁴⁴⁻³³ hɔk̚³²⁻⁴ but̚⁴/

/t͡suan²³⁻³³ kun⁴⁴⁻³³ hɔk̚³²⁻⁴ but̚⁴/

to suffer a crushing defeat; total defeat of an army; complete wipe-out


雪中送炭

to delivercoal to someone on a snowy day

ㄒㄩㄝˇ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄙㄨㄥˋ ㄊㄢˋ

сюэчжунсунтань

/ɕy̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ sʊŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ tʰän⁵¹/

/syːt̚³ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ sʊŋ³³ tʰaːn³³/

/si̯et̚² t͡suŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ suŋ⁵⁵ tʰan⁵⁵/

/suat̚³²⁻⁴ tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ sɔŋ¹¹⁻⁵³ tʰan¹¹/

/suat̚³²⁻⁴ tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² sɔŋ²¹⁻⁵³ tʰan²¹/

/suat̚³²⁻⁴ tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ sɔŋ²¹⁻⁴¹ tʰan²¹/

/se(ʔ)³²⁻⁴¹ tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ saŋ²¹⁻⁴¹ tʰuã²¹/

/se(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ saŋ¹¹⁻⁵³ tʰuã¹¹/

/suat̚³²⁻⁴ tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ saŋ²¹⁻⁴¹ tʰuã²¹/

/suat̚³²⁻⁴ tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ saŋ¹¹⁻⁵³ tʰuã¹¹/

/ɕy̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ sʊŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ tʰän⁵¹/

/syːt̚³ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ sʊŋ³³ tʰaːn³³/

/si̯et̚² t͡suŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ suŋ⁵⁵ tʰan⁵⁵/

/suat̚³²⁻⁴ tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ sɔŋ¹¹⁻⁵³ tʰan¹¹/

/suat̚³²⁻⁴ tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² sɔŋ²¹⁻⁵³ tʰan²¹/

/suat̚³²⁻⁴ tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ sɔŋ²¹⁻⁴¹ tʰan²¹/

/se(ʔ)³²⁻⁴¹ tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ saŋ²¹⁻⁴¹ tʰuã²¹/

/se(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ saŋ¹¹⁻⁵³ tʰuã¹¹/

/suat̚³²⁻⁴ tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ saŋ²¹⁻⁴¹ tʰuã²¹/

/suat̚³²⁻⁴ tiɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ saŋ¹¹⁻⁵³ tʰuã¹¹/


so long, and thanks for all the fish

From the title of a 1984 comic novel by Douglas Adams, in which it is the last message left by dolphins for humankind before escaping a doomed Earth.

[…] Templates” badge, which you can request by mailing a self-addressed stamped envelope filled with 100 dollar bills to me directly. Please allow 52-104 weeks for processing and delivery. That's all there is. So long and thanks for all the fish.

2007, Zac Woodall, The Rational Guide to Microsoft Office Access 2007 Templates, Mann Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 247:


迫不得已

ㄆㄛˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄜˊ ㄧˇ

/pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ tɤ³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɪk̚⁵ pɐt̚⁵ tɐk̚⁵ jiː¹³/

/pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ tɤ³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɪk̚⁵ pɐt̚⁵ tɐk̚⁵ jiː¹³/


匡君救主

ㄎㄨㄤ ㄐㄩㄣ ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄓㄨˇ

куанцзюньцзючжу

/kʰu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

(archaic) to rescue the emperor; to save the king


面如土色

ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄊㄨˇ ㄙㄜˋ

мянь жу ту сэ

/mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ tʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹ sɤ⁵¹/

/mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ tʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹ sɤ⁵¹/


ionnsaich do sheanmhair lit' a dhèanamh

thalla 's ionnsaich dha do sheanmhair lit' a dhèanamh!

go away and teach your grandmother how to suck eggs!

teach grandma how to suck eggs
teach grandma how to suck eggs

teach grandma how to suck eggs (lit. Teach your grandmother how to make porridge)


miten sattuu

Rahanahneet kirjailijat tahkoavat romaaneja miten sattuu.

So writers chasing money churn out novels willy nilly.

willy nilly (without regard for consequences or the will of those affected)

Liisa Ihmemaassa kuvailee paikkaa, jossa outoja asioita tapahtuu miten sattuu.

Alice in Wonderland describes a place where random things happen all willy nilly.

willy nilly (seemingly at random, haphazardly)


derült égből villámcsapás

derült (“clear”) + ég (“sky”) + -ből (“from”) + villámcsapás (“thunderbolt”)

(idiomatic) bolt from the blue (a complete surprise; an unexpected misfortune, an unforeseen difficulty)


non c'è di che

don't mention it, no problem, not at all (conventional reply to an expression of gratitude)


embrace, extend and extinguish

Formerly used internally by Microsoft. First described outside Microsoft in a 1996 New York Times article entitled "Microsoft Trying to Dominate the Internet".

A strategy of marketing that involves extending widely used standards of product categories with proprietary capabilities, and then using the differences to disadvantage its competitors.


一期一会

ja-pos

一(いち)期(ご)一(いち)会(え) • (ichigo ichie) ^(←いちごいちゑ (itigoitiwe)?)

一期一会 (canonical)
ichigo ichie (romanization)
itigoitiwe (romanization)
いちごいちゑ (hiragana historical)

Compound of 一期 (ichigo, “one lifetime”) + 一会 (ichie, “one encounter”).

compound

You should treasure every encounter, for it will never recur.


出生入死

ㄔㄨ ㄕㄥ ㄖㄨˋ ㄙˇ

/ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ ʐu⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ sɐŋ⁵⁵ jɐp̚² sei̯³⁵/

/t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ saːŋ⁵⁵ jɐp̚² sei̯³⁵/

/t͡sʰuk̚²⁻⁴ sẽ³³⁻²³ d͡zip̚⁴⁻² si⁵²/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ ʐu⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ sɐŋ⁵⁵ jɐp̚² sei̯³⁵/

/t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ saːŋ⁵⁵ jɐp̚² sei̯³⁵/

/t͡sʰuk̚²⁻⁴ sẽ³³⁻²³ d͡zip̚⁴⁻² si⁵²/

From Tao Te Ching.
This phrase 出生入死 has various interpretations, including "coming forth into life and entering death" or "exiting life and entering death" (see 出生 (chūshēng)).
The meaning "to risk one's own life" is attested earliest in 秋興賦 Evocative Rhapsody on Autumn by 潘岳 (Pan Yue)

I've heard of the wisemen's blissful manners, equalling Heaven and Earth with one finger / index / indication. They knew safety yet disregarded danger; so, coming forth into life / exiting life, they entered death.

潘岳 Pan Yue, 《秋興賦》 Evocative Rhapsody on Autumn, 3th century CE

Wén zhìrén zhī xiūfēng xī, qí tiāndì yú yī zhǐ. Bǐ zhī ān ér wàng wēi xī, gù chūshēng ér rùsǐ.

聞至人之休風兮，齊天地於一指。彼知安而忘危兮，故出生而入死。

闻至人之休风兮，齐天地于一指。彼知安而忘危兮，故出生而入死。

risking one's life; without regard to one's own life


moninaisuudessaan yhtenäinen

united in diversity (motto of the European Union)


is that so

I used to be a millionaire back in the '80s. ― Is that so?

هَلْ هٰذَا صَحِيح؟

hal hāḏā ṣaḥīḥ?


all bets are off

Originally used by sports bookmakers, and in particular horseracing. The bookmaker is not taking any more bets and all existing bets placed on the competition are now null and void. This may have been because the race was cancelled, the starting lineup was substantially changed, or due to an irregularity in the conduct of the race.

(idiomatic) Indicates that a future event appears uncertain, especially one that before seemed more certain. Any prior agreements are no longer valid.

(idiomatic, by extension) Anything can happen; any previous preconceptions about what might happen are dismissed.


花好月圓

ㄏㄨㄚ ㄏㄠˇ ㄩㄝˋ ㄩㄢˊ

хуахаоюэюань

/xu̯ä⁵⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɥɛ⁵¹ ɥɛn³⁵/

/hue³³⁻²³ ho⁵²⁻³⁵ ɡueʔ⁴⁻² ĩ⁵⁵/

/xu̯ä⁵⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɥɛ⁵¹ ɥɛn³⁵/

/hue³³⁻²³ ho⁵²⁻³⁵ ɡueʔ⁴⁻² ĩ⁵⁵/

From a line in Magnolia Flowers (木蘭花), an ode composed by Song Dynasty poet Zhang Xian (張先)

Whenever the flowers are in bloom and the moon is full, sad thoughts enter our minds. After the flowers are no longer in bloom and the moon is no longer full, the people begin to disperse. The festive atmosphere departs for the distant cloudy skies, and we are cut off from the past as if from a hazy dream that we cannot recall. The vibrant spring colors of the grass and trees succumb to the chaotic red shadows of fall. As they begin to chirp, the chickens' songs become melancholy. We wish we could make the long days of spring longer. When we will be able to look up and once again gaze at the full moon?

Rényì gòng lián huā yuè mǎn. Huāhǎoyuèyuán rén yòu sàn. Huānqíng qù zhú yuǎn yún kōng, wǎngshì guò rú yōumèng duàn.
Cǎo shù zhēngchūn hóng yǐng luàn. Yī chàng jī shēng qiānwàn yuàn. Rèn jiào chírì gèng tiān cháng, néng dé jǐshí táiyǎn kàn.

人意共憐花月滿。花好月圓人又散。歡情去逐遠雲空，往事過如幽夢斷。
草樹爭春紅影亂。一唱雞聲千萬怨。任教遲日更添長，能得幾時抬眼看。

人意共怜花月满。花好月圆人又散。欢情去逐远云空，往事过如幽梦断。
草树争春红影乱。一唱鸡声千万怨。任教迟日更添长，能得几时抬眼看。

blooming flowers and full moon; perfect conjugal bliss


jätän päätettäväksi

jätän (“I leave”) + päätettävä (“to be decided”) + -ksi (“translative ending”)

(law) I rest my case (sentence that ends a lawyer's presentation of his case in a court)


ukiortaami pilluaritsi

Locative singular of ukiortaaq (“New Year”) + 2nd person plural (intransitive) imperative of pilluarpoq (“is happy”), thus "be happy on New Year".

Happy New Year! (said to multiple persons)


narmean

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

Pronunciation spelling of do you know what I mean.


豈図らんや

豈図らんや (canonical)
ani hakaran ya (romanization)

Adverb 豈 (ani, rhetorical interrogative) + 図ら (hakara, the irrealis of verb 図る (hakaru, “to think”)) + suppositional auxiliary ん (-n) (from -m, from -mu) + interrogative particle や (ya). Literally "(just) how could one think (such a thing so)?".

an expression of surprise to an event that is contrary to one's expectations; unexpectedly, to [one's] surprise, contrary to [one's] expectations


瞎子摸象

ㄒㄧㄚ ˙ㄗ ㄇㄛ ㄒㄧㄤˋ

/ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ d͡z̥z̩² mu̯ɔ⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/hɐt̚² t͡siː³⁵ mɔː³⁵ t͡sœːŋ²²/

/ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ d͡z̥z̩² mu̯ɔ⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/hɐt̚² t͡siː³⁵ mɔː³⁵ t͡sœːŋ²²/

盲人摸象 盲人摸象#Chinese


瞎貓碰死耗子

瞎猫碰死耗子
瞎貓碰上死耗子
瞎貓碰到死耗子

ㄒㄧㄚ ㄇㄠ ㄆㄥˋ ㄙˇ ㄏㄠˋ ˙ㄗ

сямао пэн сыхаоцзы

/ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ mɑʊ̯⁵⁵ pʰɤŋ⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ xɑʊ̯⁵¹ d͡z̥z̩¹/


曇花一現

ㄊㄢˊ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄧ ㄒㄧㄢˋ

таньхуаисянь

/tʰän³⁵ xu̯ä⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/tʰaːm²¹ faː⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵ jiːn²²/

/tʰän³⁵ xu̯ä⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/tʰaːm²¹ faː⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵ jiːn²²/

曇花／昙花 (tánhuā) is short for 優曇婆羅花／优昙婆罗花 (yōutánpóluó huā), a transcription of Sanskrit उडुम्बर (uḍumbara, “cluster fig (Ficus racemosa)”).
Uḍumbara is a sacred tree in Buddhism; its flowers are enclosed within its fruit, and the tree is said to bloom only once every 3000 years, thus it symbolises events of rare occurrence.

zh-l

曇花／昙花 (tánhuā)

優曇婆羅花／优昙婆罗花 (yōutánpóluó huā)

cog

flower of thecluster fig (Ficus racemosa) only shows itself for a short time

like a flash in the pan; ephemeral; short-lived; not long-term


己所不欲，勿施於人

desc

己の欲せざる所は人に施すなかれ

→ Japanese: 己の欲せざる所は人に施すなかれ (calque) (kundoku form)

ㄐㄧˇ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄩˋ

/t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻³⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ y⁵¹⁻⁵³ u⁵¹ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ y³⁵ ʐən³⁵/

/kei̯³⁵ sɔː³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ jʊk̚² mɐt̚² siː⁵⁵ jyː⁵⁵ jɐn²¹/

/ki⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ sɔ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ put̚³²⁻⁴ iɔk̚⁴ but̚⁴⁻³² si⁴⁴⁻³³ i²³⁻³³ zin²³/

Zhonggong asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, "It is, when you go abroad, to behave to every one as if you were receiving a great guest; to employ the people as if you were assisting at a great sacrifice; not to do to others as you would not wish done to yourself; to have no murmuring against you in the country, and none in the family."

The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Zhònggōng wèn rén. Zǐyuē: “Chūmén rú jiàn dà bīn, shǐ mín rú chéng dà jì. Jǐ suǒ bù yù, wù shī yú rén. Zài bāng wú yuàn, zài jiā wú yuàn.”

仲弓問仁。子曰：「出門如見大賓，使民如承大祭。己所不欲，勿施於人。在邦無怨，在家無怨。」

仲弓问仁。子曰：「出门如见大宾，使民如承大祭。己所不欲，勿施于人。在邦无怨，在家无怨。」

Do not do unto others what you would not like others to do unto yourself.

do unto others as you would have them do unto you


彼眾我寡

ㄅㄧˇ ㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄨㄛˇ ㄍㄨㄚˇ

/pi²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹ wɔ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ku̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

(literary) They are many and we are few (we are outnumbered).


漫山遍野

ㄇㄢˋ ㄕㄢ ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄧㄝˇ

маньшаньбянье

/män⁵¹ ʂän⁵⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵¹ jɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/maːn²² saːn⁵⁵ pʰiːn³³ jɛː¹³/

/män⁵¹ ʂän⁵⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵¹ jɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/maːn²² saːn⁵⁵ pʰiːn³³ jɛː¹³/

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14ᵗʰ century CE

Xīliáng zhōu qiánbù xiānfēng Mǎ Dài, yǐnjūn yīwàn wǔqiān, hàohàodàngdàng, mànshānbiànyě ér lái.

西涼州前部先鋒馬岱，引軍一萬五千，浩浩蕩蕩，漫山遍野而來。

西凉州前部先锋马岱，引军一万五千，浩浩荡荡，漫山遍野而来。

to be numerous and all over the mountains and plains


NFA

Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin said the case has been classified as "no further action" (NFA) due to lack of evidence.

2020 November 24, “Individuals linked to Chin Peng's ashes will not face charges - minister”, in Malaysiakini:

ACP Nik Ezanee closed the investigation by classifying it as no further action (NFA) after hearing about the woman's plight.

2021 January 31, Farik Zolkepli, “PJ police go the extra mile to help the needy”, in The Star:

Police have completed investigations into a Physical Education (PE) teacher who allegedly made a rape joke in front of his students at school, and have classified it as No Further Action (NFA).

2021 August 5, Muhaamad Hafis Nawawi, “Case of teacher who allegedly made rape joke classified as NFA”, in New Straits Times:

no further action
no further action#English

(law enforcement, criminal law, UK, Malaysia) Initialism of no further action; a potential outcome for a suspect from a police investigation.


濁酒粗食

ㄓㄨㄛˊ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄘㄨ ㄕˊ

/ʈ͡ʂu̯ɔ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰu⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂu̯ɔ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰu⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

(literary) murky alcohol and coarse food


不成體統

ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄊㄧˇ ㄊㄨㄥˇ

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ tʰi²¹⁴⁻³⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ²¹ tʰɐi̯³⁵ tʰʊŋ³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ tʰi²¹⁴⁻³⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ²¹ tʰɐi̯³⁵ tʰʊŋ³⁵/


心驚膽戰

ㄒㄧㄣ ㄐㄧㄥ ㄉㄢˇ ㄓㄢˋ

синьцзинданьчжань

/ɕin⁵⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ tän²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹/

/sɐm⁵⁵ kɪŋ⁵⁵ taːm³⁵ t͡siːn³³/

/ɕin⁵⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ tän²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹/

/sɐm⁵⁵ kɪŋ⁵⁵ taːm³⁵ t͡siːn³³/

to tremble with fear; to shake with fright


f.Kr.

BC (years before the birth of Christ); abbreviation of før Kristus, før Kristi fødsel.


kd

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of kein Ding.


tjs.

Abbreviation of tai jotain sellaista (“or something like that”).


GINO

From the construction of RINO and DINO, using -INO in conjunction with "G" for Galactica.

(neologism, fandom slang) Acronym of Galactica in name only — a derogatory term used by partisan fans of the original Battlestar Galactica to refer to the reimagined Battlestar Galactica


credit where credit's due

Used to justly praise someone for their achievement or contribution.


όπερ έδει δείξαι

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όπερ έδει δείξαι

όπερ έδει δείξαι • (óper édei deíxai)

el-phrase

όπερ έδει δείξαι

όπερ έδει δείξαι • (óper édei deíxai)

From Ancient Greek ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι (hóper édei deîxai, “quod erat demonstrandum”).

der

ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι

quod erat demonstrandum
quod erat demonstrandum


ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι

head

ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι • (hóper édei deîxai)

desc

όπερ έδει δείξαι

Greek: όπερ έδει δείξαι (óper édei deíxai)

Latin: quod erat demonstrandum (calque)


頹牆壞壁

ㄊㄨㄟˊ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄏㄨㄞˋ ㄅㄧˋ

туй цян хуай би

/tʰu̯eɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ xu̯aɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹/

/tʰu̯eɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ xu̯aɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹/


ADS

(video games) Initialism of aim down sights.


兵強將盛

ㄅㄧㄥ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄐㄧㄤˋ ㄕㄥˋ

бин цян цзян шэн

/piŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɤŋ⁵¹/

/piŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɤŋ⁵¹/


算了

→? Korean: 쏼라쏼라 (sswallasswalla, “while speaking gibberish”)

/su̯än⁵¹ lə¹/

/su̯än⁵¹ lə¹/

(colloquial) forget it; forget about it; drop it; leave it at that; let it pass; let it be; leave it be


as much use as a chocolate teapot

En-au-as much use as a chocolate teapot.ogg


天下歸心

ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄍㄨㄟ ㄒㄧㄣ

тяньсягуйсинь

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ ku̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/tʰiːn⁵⁵ haː²² kʷɐi̯⁵⁵ sɐm⁵⁵/

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ ku̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/tʰiːn⁵⁵ haː²² kʷɐi̯⁵⁵ sɐm⁵⁵/

to win over the support and trust of the entire nation


IK

Coordinate term: IDK

Alternative form: ik

Although (Cosmo cover girl, heeeyyy) Ashley Park’s hair looks one-dimensional in the first pic above, if you scroll, you’ll see she’s got a super-underrated balayage throughout her ends that adds some brightness to her ends. IK what you’re thinking: Why bright for fall?

2024 September 5, Beth Gillette, “24 Fall Hair Colors Every Celebrity Is Asking for Rn”, in Cosmopolitan:

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of I know.


there's more where that came from

Thank you for donating all of these blankets to the orphanage. ― There's more where that came from!

“Take that” was the punctuation of a hero's fist or bullet. “Had enough yet, Big Shot? There's more where that came from.”

1992, Confrontation, numbers 48-50, page 38:

A greater number of similar things can be provided in the future.

還有更多的呢

a greater number of similar things can be provided in the future


金鼓喧天

ㄐㄧㄣ ㄍㄨˇ ㄒㄩㄢ ㄊㄧㄢ

цзиньгусюаньтянь

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕy̯ɛn⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕy̯ɛn⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

the clamor of gongs and drums resounded to the heavens


一箭之地

ㄧ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄓ ㄉㄧˋ

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ti⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡siːn³³ t͡siː⁵⁵ tei̯²²/

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ti⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡siːn³³ t͡siː⁵⁵ tei̯²²/

Literally: the distance that an arrow can fly


孤力難為

ㄍㄨ ㄌㄧˋ ㄋㄢˊ ㄨㄟˊ

гу ли нань вэй

/ku⁵⁵ li⁵¹ nän³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵/

/ku⁵⁵ li⁵¹ nän³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵/


SDG

Initialism of sōlī Deō glōria (“glory to God alone”).


out with it

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-out with it.wav

“What’s your name, youngster? Out with it!” cried Laballière, striving to shake the little free mulatto into speech; but he stayed dumb as a mummy.

1894, Kate Chopin, “In and Out of Old Natchitoches”, in Bayou Folk:

1906, Edith Nesbit, The Railway Children, Chapter 4: The engine-burglar,
"Come, out with it," said the Doctor.
"It's rather hard, you see," said Bobbie, "to out with it; because of what Mother said."

"Six years!" mused Gor Hajus. "Well, out with it, man. What do you want? If it is to slay Ras Thavas, no! He has saved me from utter destruction; but name me some other, preferably Vobis Kan, Jeddak of Toonol. Find me a blade and I will slay a hundred to regain life."

1928, Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter VIII, in The Master Mind of Mars, ESCAPE:

Used to tell somebody to reveal a secret.


much ado about nothing

/mʌtʃ əˈduː əˈbaʊt ˈnʌθɪŋ/

Early 1500s, and first found in The Defense of the Aunswere to the Admonition, against the Replie of T. C., a 1574 pamphlet by John Whitgift (Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to 1604).
Made popular and particularly known from the title of the 1598 comedy play Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare had earlier used ado (“business, activity”) in the play Romeo and Juliet (1592) "Weele keepe no great adoe, a Friend or two.", though it is now frequently used to mean fuss as a contraction of the phrase here; nothing in the title of the play is a wordplay which can also mean noting (“to notice”) besides the usual meaning of nothing.

(idiomatic) A lot of fuss or bother about something trivial.

Archbishop of Canterbury
John Whitgift
Much Ado About Nothing
Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare


兵精將勇

ㄅㄧㄥ ㄐㄧㄥ ㄐㄧㄤˋ ㄩㄥˇ

бин цзин цзян юн

/piŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹ jʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/piŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹ jʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/


добро јутро

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до̀бро ју̏тро

до̀бро ју̏тро (Roman spelling dòbro jȕtro)

до̀бро ју̏тро (canonical)
dòbro jȕtro (romanization)

доб‧ро‧јут‧ро


добро вече

sh-phrase

до̏бро ве̏че̄

до̏бро ве̏че̄ (Latin spelling dȍbro vȅčē)

до̏бро ве̏че̄ (canonical)
dȍbro vȅčē (romanization)


喪家之狗

ㄙㄤˋ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄓ ㄍㄡˇ

санцзячжигоу

/sɑŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ koʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sɔːŋ³³ kaː⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ kɐu̯³⁵/

/sɑŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ koʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sɔːŋ³³ kaː⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ kɐu̯³⁵/

Emperor Yao
Gao Yao (minister)
Records of the Grand Historian
Yu the Great
Zichan

From the Records of the Grand Historian:
:
喪家之狗 was later reanalysed as "a dog that has lost its home", which would often go hungry and wander the streets in search for food, due to neglect by its master. Later, this became a metaphor for a desperate person who has nobody to turn to.

There is a man at the eastern gate with Yao's forehead, Gaoyao's neck and Zichan's shoulders, but below his waist he is shorter than Yu by three inches. He was dejected as the dog of a family in mourning.

Dōngmén yǒu rén, qí sǎng sì Yáo, qí xiàng lèi Gāoyáo, qí jiān lèi Zǐchǎn, rán zì yāo yǐxià bùjí Yǔ sān cùn, léiléi ruò sāngjiā zhī gǒu.

東門有人，其顙似堯，其項類皋陶，其肩類子產，然自要以下不及禹三寸，纍纍若喪家之狗。

东门有人，其颡似尧，其项类皋陶，其肩类子产，然自要以下不及禹三寸，累累若丧家之狗。

(figurative) a desperate person who has nobody to turn to


you know what they say

You know what they say about fish and company. After three days, you start to stink. -- but after three decades of Hosni Mubarak, the stench has become unbearable.

2011 January 30, Sherry Jones, “Opinion: What I Saw In Egypt”, in AOL News:

You know what they say about men with big feet, don't ya?" A man in back smirked at me. I really didn't know what to say. I had heard the saying about men with big feet were supposed to be well hung, but I had no idea what would happen if I said something.

2007, Katherine D. Bennett, Forever One:

Used to introduce, or alluding to, an apt adage.


if you know what I mean

He seemed a little too interested in the details, if you know what I mean [implying that perhaps he had ulterior motives].

Used to allude to something unsaid or hinted at.

你懂得

used to allude to something unsaid or hinted at

érted/érti, ugye? (“érted”: informal; “érti”: formal)

Then you've got to jiggle it just right, if you know what I mean, before you can get it to come out of there.

rhetorical question
rhetorical question#English

do you know what I'm saying
do you know what I'm saying#English

(informal) Used as a rhetorical question to confirm attention, understanding, or agreement at the end of an utterance or each segment thereof; synonym of do you know what I'm saying.


look who's talking

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-look who's talking.wav

Used when someone receives criticism for something by someone else who is guilty of the same thing.

the call is coming from inside the house


虎無爪，鳥無翼

a tiger without claws, a bird without wings

/xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu̯ä²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ni̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ i⁵¹/


se Dex me gart

(idiomatic) God willing; if God is with me (used to express that speaker is uncertain, but believes that he or she is right)


είπα ό,τι είχα να πω

head

είπα ό,τι είχα να πω

είπα ό,τι είχα να πω • (eípa ó,ti eícha na po)

el-phrase

είπα ό,τι είχα να πω

eípa ó (romanization)
ti eícha na po (romanization)


人殊意異

ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄨ ㄧˋ ㄧˋ

/ʐən³⁵ ʂu⁵⁵ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵¹/

/ʐən³⁵ ʂu⁵⁵ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵¹/

there's no accounting for taste
there's no accounting for taste

people and opinions will vary; not everyone will view it the same way; there's no accounting for taste


Сретан Божић

sh-phrase

Сретан Божић

Сретан Божић (Latin spelling Sretan Božić)


עליו השלום

head

עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם

עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם • ('aláv hashalóm)

עָלָיו הַ שָּׁלוֹם (canonical)
'aláv hashalóm (romanization)

may he rest in peace, (literally, "peace be upon him")


עליו השלום

From Hebrew עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם ('aláv hashalóm)

bor

עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם


the thick plottens

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-the thick plottens.wav

The thick plottens in the checker scandal. Our expert along those lines, whose monicker is thinly veiled, in the subscription to the appended document, evidently knows more than he is of a mind to spring at this time.

1909 February 3, “In the wake of the news: Weaving the net”, in Chicago Daily Tribune, page 12:

"The thick plottens, Gilly," he observed in great good humor. "Decidedly, the thick plottens!"

1942, Vincent Starrett, "The Case of the Two Flutes", Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, No.2, p.96

Meanwhile, the thick plottens. It involves renegade US Treasury agents, vast amounts of money, lots of gunplay, crashing and exploding planes and the capture of Hal by a gang of serious ne'er-do-wells [...]

1993 May 28, Bill Taylor, “Credibility left dangling in Rocky vs. Rockies”, in Toronto Daily Star, page C6:

the plot thickens
the plot thickens#English

(humorous) Spoonerism of the plot thickens


alles anderes ist Menschenwerk

A corruption of German mathematician Leopold Kronecker's finite dictum “die ganzen Zahlen hat Gott gemacht; alles andere ist Menschenwerk” : “God made the integers; everything else is the work of man”. The reason for the addition of an "s" to "andere" ("anderes" is grammatically incorrect and not present in the German phrase) is unclear.

Yet in its inadequate way it seems to gesture towards something which is closest of all to what has concerned many who have been worried about moral objectivity: the idea that there is no moral order ‘out there’ – out there, in the world, are only the sorts of things and the sorts of facts that science, and the more everyday processes of human enquiry of which science is a refinement, deal. Alles anderes ist Menschenwerk. Statement (c) [There are no moral facts; there are only the sorts of facts that science or common observation can discover, and the values that men place on those facts.] can be said – using the word in an unambitious way – to express a metaphysical view.

1972, Bernard Williams, Morality (1993 Canto edition, chapter 2: “Subjectivism: First thoughts”, pages 14–15

It would help overthrow the pernicious chauvinistic idea that, apart from certain elementary facts, Alles anderes ist Menschenwerk, all necessity, all intensionality, all value.

1980, Don S. Mannison, Michael A. McRobbie, R. Routley, Richard Sylvan, editors, Environmental Philosophy, Research School of Social Sciences Canberra Department of Philosophy, →ISBN, page 187, →ISBN:

‘Facts’ and ‘things’ are ‘out there’ in the world, alles anderes ist Menschenwerk.

1989, W. E. Morrow, Chains of Thought: Philosophical Essays in South African Education (Southern Book Publishers), page 41

“Everything else is the work of man.” “Everything else is a human construct.”


鳴金收軍

ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄕㄡ ㄐㄩㄣ

минцзинь шоу цзюнь

/miŋ³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵/

/miŋ³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ʂoʊ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵/

to bang war gongs as a signal to retreat


一面之交

ㄧ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄓ ㄐㄧㄠ

имяньчжицзяо

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ miːn²² t͡siː⁵⁵ kaːu̯⁵⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ miːn²² t͡siː⁵⁵ kaːu̯⁵⁵/

(literary) a casual relationship; acquaintance


m.a.o.

Initialism of med andra ord (“in other words”).


好賢禮士

ㄏㄠˋ ㄒㄧㄢˊ ㄌㄧˇ ㄕˋ

/xɑʊ̯⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛn³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/hou̯³³ jiːn²¹ lɐi̯¹³ siː²²/

/xɑʊ̯⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛn³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/hou̯³³ jiːn²¹ lɐi̯¹³ siː²²/

to prize men of virtue and to show courtesy to talented men of letters


棄暗投明

ㄑㄧˋ ㄢˋ ㄊㄡˊ ㄇㄧㄥˊ

/t͡ɕʰi⁵¹⁻⁵³ ˀän⁵¹ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ miŋ³⁵/

/hei̯³³ ɐm³³ tʰɐu̯²¹ mɪŋ²¹/

/t͡ɕʰi⁵¹⁻⁵³ ˀän⁵¹ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ miŋ³⁵/

/hei̯³³ ɐm³³ tʰɐu̯²¹ mɪŋ²¹/

turn over a new leaf
turn over a new leaf

to forsake darkness and come to the light; to forsake darkness for light; to turn over a new leaf


what, me worry

(idiomatic, US) As an interrogatory, indicative of a nonchalant attitude towards potential criticism, not caring about what other people think, confident and self-possessed.


略無禁憚

ㄌㄩㄝˋ ㄨˊ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄉㄢˋ

люэ у цзинь дань

/ly̯ɛ⁵¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ tän⁵¹/

/ly̯ɛ⁵¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ tän⁵¹/

略無忌憚／略无忌惮

lüè wú jìdàn

略無忌憚

lüè wú jìdàn

略无忌惮

lüè wú jìdàn


交頭接耳

ㄐㄧㄠ ㄊㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄝ ㄦˇ

цзяотоуцзеэр

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/kaːu̯⁵⁵ tʰɐu̯²¹ t͡siːp̚³ jiː¹³/

/kaːu̯⁵⁵ tʰɐu̯²¹ t͡siːp̚³ jiː¹³/

to speak in each other's ears; to whisper to each other


交臂失之

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ pi⁵¹ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/kaːu̯⁵⁵ pei̯³³ sɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ pi⁵¹ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/kaːu̯⁵⁵ pei̯³³ sɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵/

to narrowly miss a golden opportunity (to meet someone etc.)


失之交臂

/ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ pi⁵¹/

/sɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ kaːu̯⁵⁵ pei̯³³/

/ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ pi⁵¹/

/sɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ kaːu̯⁵⁵ pei̯³³/

2006, 劉殷傑 [Jackie Lau] (lyrics and music), “數算奇異恩典 [Count His Grace]”:

If you are met with setbacks or miss a golden opportunity, do not take your life and give up on it; with the Lord's love and hope, there must be a wonderful turn for the better.

jyu⁶ soeng⁵ co³ zit³ sat¹ zi¹ gaau¹ bei³, bit⁶ ji⁵ hing¹ sang¹ zoeng¹ zi¹ diu¹ hei³, zyu² dik¹ oi³ jyu⁵ hei¹ kei³, ding⁶ jau⁵ kei⁴ miu⁶ zyun² gei¹.

遇上挫折失之交臂，別以輕生將之丟棄，主的愛與希冀，定有奇妙轉機。

遇上挫折失之交臂，别以轻生将之丢弃，主的爱与希冀，定有奇妙转机。

to narrowly miss a golden opportunity (to meet someone, etc.)


青面獠牙

ㄑㄧㄥ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄌㄧㄠˊ ㄧㄚˊ

/t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ li̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ jä³⁵/

/t͡sʰɛːŋ⁵⁵ miːn²² liːu̯²¹ ŋaː²¹/

/t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ li̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ jä³⁵/

/t͡sʰɛːŋ⁵⁵ miːn²² liːu̯²¹ ŋaː²¹/

green-faced and long-toothed; terrifying in appearance


יבל״ח

יבדל לחיים
יבדל לחיים#Hebrew


יבדל לחיים

head

יִבָּדֵל לְחַיִּים

יִבָּדֵל לְחַיִּים • (transliteration needed)

he-phrase

יִבָּדֵל לְחַיִּים

יִבָּדֵל לְחַיִּים (canonical)

Literally "he should be distinguished for life".

Used before or after a reference to a male person live or deceased, to mark him as such in contradistinction to a previously mentioned person who is, respectively, deceased or live.


一模一樣

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ mu³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ jɑŋ⁵¹/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ mu̯ɔ³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ jɑŋ⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ mou̯²¹ jɐt̚⁵ jœːŋ²²/

/it̚³²⁻⁴ bɔ²³⁻³³ it̚³²⁻⁴ iũ³³/

/it̚³²⁻⁴ bɔ²⁴⁻²² it̚³²⁻⁴ iũ²²/

/it̚³²⁻⁴ bɔ²⁴⁻¹¹ it̚³²⁻⁴ iũ³³/

/it̚⁵⁻²⁴ bɔ²⁴⁻²² it̚⁵⁻²⁴ iũ⁴¹/

/it̚³²⁻⁵ bɔ¹³⁻²² it̚³²⁻⁵ iɔ̃²²/

/iɪʔ⁴⁴ moʔ⁴⁴ iɪʔ⁵⁵ ɦiã⁵¹/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ mu³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ jɑŋ⁵¹/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ mu̯ɔ³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ jɑŋ⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ mou̯²¹ jɐt̚⁵ jœːŋ²²/

/it̚³²⁻⁴ bɔ²³⁻³³ it̚³²⁻⁴ iũ³³/

/it̚³²⁻⁴ bɔ²⁴⁻²² it̚³²⁻⁴ iũ²²/

/it̚³²⁻⁴ bɔ²⁴⁻¹¹ it̚³²⁻⁴ iũ³³/

/it̚⁵⁻²⁴ bɔ²⁴⁻²² it̚⁵⁻²⁴ iũ⁴¹/

/it̚³²⁻⁵ bɔ¹³⁻²² it̚³²⁻⁵ iɔ̃²²/

/iɪʔ⁴⁴ moʔ⁴⁴ iɪʔ⁵⁵ ɦiã⁵¹/


dream on

When you first come out, you might have an overactive gaydar. When I realized I was gay, I wanted everyone to be gay too, which led to a lot of wishful thinking.
"Helen Hunt is gay!" Dream on, girl!

Used to express skepticism or derision about the possibility of an interlocutor's statement.


兜肚連腸

ㄉㄡ ㄉㄨˋ ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄔㄤˊ

доудуляньчан

/toʊ̯⁵⁵ tu⁵¹ li̯ɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵/

/toʊ̯⁵⁵ tu⁵¹ li̯ɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵/

the whole thing; the whole kit and caboodle


ហាមជក់បារី

km-phrase

ហាមជក់បារី • (haam cŭək baarəy)


សូមកុំជក់បារី

សូមកុំជក់បារី

សូមកុំជក់បារី • (soum kom cŭək baarəy)


ជំរាបលា

ជំរាបលា • (cumriəp liə)

ជម្រាបលា ជម្រាបលា#Khmer

Alternative spelling of ជម្រាបលា (cumriəp liə, “goodbye”)


ღამე ნებისა

head

ღამე ნებისა • (ɣame nebisa)


m.fl.

som däggdjur räknas hundar, kor, katter m.fl.

as mammals count dogs, cows, cats and others

and others, etc.; Abbreviation of med flera.


o.s.v.

and so on; Abbreviation of och så vidare.


osv.

Abbreviation of og så videre (“and so on”).


osv.

og så videre
og så videre#Norwegian_Bokmål


osv.

og så vidare
og så vidare#Norwegian_Nynorsk

and so on; Abbreviation of og så vidare (“and so on”).


osv.

Abbreviation of och så vidare (“and so on”).


TMD

/tʰä⁵⁵ mä⁵⁵ d̥ə²/

/tʰä⁵⁵ mä⁵⁵ d̥ə²/

zh-l

他媽的／他妈的 (tāmāde)

(vulgar) Initialism of 他媽的／他妈的 (tāmāde).


with any luck

With any luck, we'll be able to finish our assignment before the deadline.

(colloquial) Hopefully; with a modicum of good fortune.


賞功罰罪

ㄕㄤˇ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄈㄚˊ ㄗㄨㄟˋ

шан гун фа цзуй

/ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ fä³⁵ t͡su̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

/ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ fä³⁵ t͡su̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

to reward people for meritorious deeds and to punish them for their crimes


析骸以爨

ㄒㄧ ㄏㄞˊ ㄧˇ ㄘㄨㄢˋ

/ɕi⁵⁵ xaɪ̯³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰu̯än⁵¹/

/ɕi⁵⁵ xaɪ̯³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰu̯än⁵¹/

* Warring States Period: Zuo Qiuming, Zuo Zhuan (春秋左氏傳˙宣公十五年)
*: 敝邑易子而食，析骸以爨。
*:: In the city we are exchanging our children and eating them, and splitting up their bones for fuel. (James Legge)

the situation is dire (i.e. during wartime or famine)


易子而食

/i⁵¹ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/jɪk̚² t͡siː³⁵ jiː²¹ sɪk̚²/

/i⁵¹ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/jɪk̚² t͡siː³⁵ jiː²¹ sɪk̚²/

In the city we are exchanging our children and eating them, and splitting up their bones for fuel.

敝邑易子而食，析骸以爨。

people exchange their children with one another and eat them (describing dire famines caused by disasters)


食肉寢皮

ㄕˊ ㄖㄡˋ ㄑㄧㄣˇ ㄆㄧˊ

/ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʐoʊ̯⁵¹ t͡ɕʰin²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰi³⁵/

/ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʐoʊ̯⁵¹ t͡ɕʰin²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰi³⁵/

As to those two, they are like beasts, whose flesh I will eat, and then sleep upon their skins.

Rán èr zǐ zhě, pì yú qínshòu, chén shí qí ròu ér qǐn chù qí pí yǐ.

然二子者，譬於禽獸，臣食其肉而寢處其皮矣。

然二子者，譬于禽兽，臣食其肉而寝处其皮矣。

to eat somebody's flesh and sleep on their hide; to swear revenge on somebody, implacable hatred, to have somebody's guts for garters, to bitterly detest


wait for it

I just found out that my ex-wife, who never wanted children, now has two kids called, wait for it, Ludwig and Balthazar.

The National Museum of Crime and Punishment invites couples to "delight their dark side" this Valentine's Day weekend with -- wait for it -- stories of violence against romantic partners?

2011 February 10, Carissa Dimargo, “'Crimes of Passion' Glorified for Valentine's Day”, in NBC Washington:

(idiomatic, colloquial) Used to draw attention to and build suspense, often ironically, for a remark to come.


kuin Esterin perseestä

kuin (“like”) Esterin (“Esther's”) perseestä (“from ass”); of uncertain origin. Urban legend has it that "Esteri" was the Goddess of rain in pre-Christian Finland, but that's naturally false, as the name is of Biblical origin.
One possible source of the saying is the Esteri-branded water pumps used by fire brigades.

Sataa kuin Esterin perseestä jo kolmatta päivää peräkkäin!

It's pissing it down already for a third day in a row!

(simile) A metaphor of heavy rain or sometimes also of heavy snowfall, used like cats and dogs in English.


הה״ד

הָדָא הדא#Aramaic

כְתִיב כתיב#Aramaic

Abbreviation of הָדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב (hāḏā hū diḵṯīḇ): this is what is written.


much to be said

There is much to be said for a policy of caution.

The British empire had much to be said for it, but it is over – dead, deceased, struck off, no more.

2013 August 14, Simon Jenkins, The Guardian:

Why not think of oneself as simply thrown together with fellow citizens or conationals in the same sort of random way as a group of people might be thrown together in a life-boat? There is much to be said in favor of such a story.

1999, Gillian Brock, “The new nationalisms”, in Monist, volume 82, number 3, page 367:

Used to assert the defensibility or advisability of what follows.

nyomós érvek szólnak

followed by mellett, i.e., for a given point


trods alt

head

trods alt (literally: despite everything)

in spite of everything, despite everything


油断大敵

油断大敵 (canonical)
yudantaiteki (romanization)


کجا زندگی می‌کنید

کجا زندگی میکنید؟

کجا زندگی میکنید؟ • (kojâ zendegi mi-konid?)

کجا زندگی میکنید ؟ (canonical)
kojâ zendegi mi-konid? (romanization)


عاشقتم

'âšeqatam (romanization)
'âšeqetam (romanization)


دوستت دارم

[ˈduːstʰæt ˈdɒːɾæm]


no parking

On a traffic sign, indicates that parking a vehicle is not allowed within the area of influence of the sign.

যানবাহন রাখা নিষিদ্ধ (janbahon rakha niśiddho, literally “storing vehicles is prohibited”)


TINLC

(Internet, humorous) Initialism of There is no lumber cartel.


乘虛而入

ㄔㄥˊ ㄒㄩ ㄦˊ ㄖㄨˋ

/ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ ɕy⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʐu⁵¹/

/sɪŋ²¹ hɵy̯⁵⁵ jiː²¹ jɐp̚²/

/seŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ hɯ³³⁻²³ d͡zɯ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ d͡zip̚⁴/

/ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ ɕy⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʐu⁵¹/

/sɪŋ²¹ hɵy̯⁵⁵ jiː²¹ jɐp̚²/

/seŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ hɯ³³⁻²³ d͡zɯ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ d͡zip̚⁴/

to enter or invade by exploiting of one's opponent's unpreparedness or weakness; to break through a weak point or advance when one's opponent is off guard


every king needs a queen

Every man needs a woman as a romantic partner with whom to spend his life.


what are the odds

(idiomatic, rhetorical question) Used to express surprise at an unlikely outcome.


& cetera

A use of the ligature & to stand for the et in et cetera.

A Charter of Raff Godeknave I‐made to Geffrey Sawser for a mese with his partynentis, & cetera.

1905, Early English Text Society, page 498:


& cetera

De vouloir tout ſcavoir, comme les Femmelettes, qui s’informent ſoigneuſement de tout ce qui ſe paſſe chez leurs voiſins, ſi on ſe leve matin, ſi on ſe couche tard, ſi on ballaye les chambres, ſi on eſt ſale, ſi on ſe poudre ou farde, ſi on ſe gronde ou careſſe, ce qu’on met dans le pot, & cetera, & qui repetent ces choſes dans les converſations familieres avec des notes des remarques & des critiques ; c’eſt pure Folie, & ne merite pas un moment les attentions d’un homme d’eſprit ; de pareilles fadaiſes ne doivent jamais entrer dans l’Etude de la Science du Monde.

1735, Carl, De la Science du Monde, page 18f:

To want to know everything, like the Femmelettes, who carefully inform themselves of everything that happens in their neighbour's homes, if they get up in the morning, if they go to bed late, if they sweep their rooms, if they are dirty, if they put on powder or makeup, if they scold or caress, what they put in the pot, et cetera, and who repeat these things in casual conversation with notes and criticisms, that's pure Madness, and doesn't merit a moment of attention from a man of wit, such twaddle should never enter into the Study of the Science of the World.


dust settles

I tried to make amends after the dust settled.

You should let the dust settle.

when the dust settles

(idiomatic, usually with the) A heated, angry, or confused atmosphere calms down.


でんごんをたのまれる

ja-phrase

でんごん を たのまれる

伝言を頼まれる 伝言を頼まれる#Japanese

伝言を頼まれる: To be given a message for someone; to be charged with a message.


誰でも

誰でも (canonical)
dare de mo (romanization)

誰でも知っている


I see what you did there

Book a tabla now (te-he) www.electromancer.com/artists/squishmusic [Yes, very good, I see what you did there - Ed].

Leonard Hofstadter: Of course, we're in different departments. He's an engineer and I'm an experimental physicist. You know, one of guys who examines the building blocks of creation and says: "Hello, maker of the universe. I see what you did there. Good one."

2010 November 4, Bill Prady, Steven Molaro & Steve Holland, "The Apology Insufficiency", episode 4-7 of The Big Bang Theory, 00:05:03-00:05:19

"Wait. I see what you did there. You turned my comment around on me so that it would be an insult. You are one clever gal, Dr. Rodgers."

2011, Grant R. Jeffrey, Alton L. Gansky, The Scroll, WaterBrook Press, →ISBN, page 103:

Oh, I see what you did there! You made a little "bacon" joke at moi's expense. You got a death wish or something, buster?!

2011 November 19, “Fast chat: Miss Piggy of 'The Muppets'”, in Newsday:

(informal, humorous) An expression used to point out that another person's joke or cleverness has been recognized or understood, either to acknowledge its cleverness or alternatively to communicate a lack of amusement.


pick on someone your own size

(colloquial, idiomatic) An admonition of cowardice, usually said to make someone cease harassing or bullying someone else, especially where the bullied party is physically smaller or weaker than the bully.


citation needed

From a tag, first created in June 2005, used on the English Wikipedia website to mark statements in articles that require verification.

I pass the Museo del Bargello, a former army barracks and prison, it is now home to masterpieces by Michelangelo, Donatello, Vincenzo Gemito and Robert Mapplethorpe [citation needed].

2013, Dan T. Alighieri [pseudonym], “Prologue”, in Dan’s Inferno: A Parody, London: Michael O’Mara Books, →ISBN, page 7:

I have learned recently, where I can't remember, that books made of scrolls of papyrus were cut into pages and enclosed in wooden covers. Books like this were in circulation at the time. For now, just like Wikipedia, we will mark this: "citation needed."

2013, Phil[lip D.] Johnson, “My Favorite Event as Told by Mark”, in Funny Stuff in the Bible: A Field Trip in the Bible Library, Eugene, Or.: Resource Publications, Wipf and Stock, →ISBN, page 91:

You know, every time I hear their stories [of near-death experiences] I just want to say "citation needed", because all the stuff they're saying, the only people who believe it happen to be the ones in their circles.

2013 December 4, Hemant Mehta, “Atheists, there is PROOF of Heaven!”, in YouTube, retrieved 2017-02-06:

Euclid’s solution was simply to take parallel lines for granted and add them in as a fifth postulate. [...] In The Elements, the first four postulates are stated in simple and obvious statements, together amounting to only thirty-four words. The fifth postulate alone requires thirty-five words. This was the ancient Greek equivalent of ‘citation needed’.

2014, Matt Parker, “Shapes: Now in 3D”, in Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension: A Mathematician’s Journey through Narcissistic Numbers, Optimal Dating Algorithms, at Least Two Kinds of Infinity, and More, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN, page 92:

Do you struggle to keep up with all the great podcasts and video content The Spinoff puts out every week? Luckily, we have a solution – introducing Rec Room, The Spinoff’s latest and some are saying greatest [citation needed] newsletter.

2020 August 17, “Subscribe to Rec Room, Our Newsletter for Video, Podcasts and Other Favourite Stuff”, in The Spinoff, archived from the original on 2020-09-29:

> Democrats want a centralized autocratic government / [citation needed] Meanwhile, Trump's autocratic tendencies have become legendary after his one and only term. / > Democrats want a dictatorial leader (as evidenced by their refusal to hold their leader(s) to any Constitutional or legal standards) / [citation needed] Meanwhile, Banana Republicans just spent four years displaying clear anti-democratic tendencies and support for a rogue executive who regularly flouted laws, norms, and Congressional oversight.

2020 November 7, Nadegda, “How to defeat a coup attempt”, in talk.politics.misc (Usenet):

[...] [Nick] Kroll cited The Bible (citation needed) as dictating, "Thou shalt have a Goldberg [i.e., Evan Goldberg] that one grows up with, and then writes TV and movies with." Don’t question it.

2020 December 1, Dennis Perkins, “Nick Kroll Got Some Helpful Direction from Harry Styles on Popping the Question”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 2020-12-01:

(originally Internet slang, chiefly humorous) Used to designate an assertion or other statement as false, inaccurate, or requiring verification.

verwysing benodig

used to designate an assertion or other statement as false, inaccurate, or requiring verification

The sun is really bright,[citation needed] and its light illuminates the earth.[citation needed]

Used ironically to designate an obvious fact that needs no support.


død som en sild

(simile) dead as a doornail, dead as a dodo (unquestionably dead)


time was

Time was, the feet of the messengers of peace were glorious, but now their message is mean; […] time was, thou wert exceeding tender of the least sin, and not a day past, but thy cheeks were wet in secret before the Lord; now thou art grown blind […] .

a. 1659, Jonathan Mitchell, editor, The Parable of the Ten Virgins Opened and Applied [sermons of Thomas Shepard], 1797 edition, volume 2, page 259 http://books.google.com/books?id=uvI2AAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA259&dq=glorious

I call him poor; but time was, that in our intercourse I was the obliged party.

1879, John Berwick Harwood, Young Lord Penrith, chapter 34; as serialized in, 1879 June 21, Chambers's Journal, fourth series, number 808; which was reprinted in, Chambers's Journal 1879, page 387 http://books.google.com/books?id=mtwXAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA387&dq=%22but+time+was+that%22

Liberal arts and community colleges as well as other teaching-centered institutions have always promoted high standards of teaching excellence. But time was that no one really cared much what instructors in more research-oriented universities did in the classroom, as long as it was legal.

2010, Linda B. Nilson, Teaching at Its Best, 3rd edition, Jossey-Bass, →ISBN, page xvii:

It was once true (that)...; there was a time when...


shut the front door

What in the Sam Hill just happened to him? Shut the front door.

(minced oath, euphemistic, slang) shut the fuck up (usually expressing disbelief)


ខ្ញុំមិនចេះនិយាយភាសាអង់គ្លេស

km-phrase

ខ្ញុំមិនចេះនិយាយភាសាអង់គ្លេស

ខ្ញុំមិនចេះនិយាយភាសាអង់គ្លេស • (khñom mɨn ceh niyiəy phiəsaa ʼɑngkleih)

khñom mɨn ceh niyiəy phiəsaa ʼɑngkleih (romanization)

en-ខ្ញុំមិនចេះនិយាយភាសាអង់គ្លេស-km-phrase-GXY7bnJu


my eyes are up here

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-my eyes are up here.wav

(informal, sarcastic) Said to prompt the interlocutor to stop looking lustfully at the speaker's body.


i och för sig

/ɪ(ʊ)fœˈʂɛj/

/ʏ(ʊ)fœˈʂɛj/

i (“in”) + och (“and”) + för (“for”) + sig (“itself”)

af

Sushi vore i och för sig väldigt gott. Jag har ändrat mig. Vi tar det istället för pizza.

Sushi would be very good though, now that I think about it. I've changed my mind. Let's have that instead of pizza.

– Du kan ju kasta en granat på monstret istället, så undviker du närstrid. – Ah, jo, i och för sig.
– You could throw a grenade at the monster instead. Then you'll avoid close combat. – Oh, right, now that you say it.

Det är väl i och för sig inte företagets fel att varubuden inte sköter sig

Though I guess you can't blame the company for the behavior of their delivery people ["It is I guess when I think about it / on the other hand not the company's fault that the delivery people do not behave themselves"]

Nej... fast i och för sig så har han skött sig tidigare, så låt gå för denna gång

No... although, when thinking about it, he has behaved well in the past, so I'll let him off this time

on the other hand
on the other hand#English

Expresses concession (often when realizing or recognizing something and retreating from an earlier position, but also more generally); "when thinking about it", "well, now that I think about it", "well, now that you say it", "oh yeah, you're right", on the other hand, etc.


歡天喜地

ㄏㄨㄢ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧˇ ㄉㄧˋ

хуаньтяньсиди

/xu̯än⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ ti⁵¹/

/xu̯än⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ ti⁵¹/


明知故犯

ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄓ ㄍㄨˋ ㄈㄢˋ

минчжигуфань

/miŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ku⁵¹⁻⁵³ fän⁵¹/

/mɪŋ²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ kuː³³ faːn²²/

/miŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ku⁵¹⁻⁵³ fän⁵¹/

/mɪŋ²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ kuː³³ faːn²²/

He doesn't listen after being told many times, and he still knowingly does wrong.

giu³ gik⁶ keoi⁵ dou¹ m⁴ teng¹, zung⁶ ming⁴ zi¹ gu³ faan⁶.

叫極佢都唔聽，仲明知故犯。

叫极佢都唔听，仲明知故犯。


do you kiss your mother with that mouth

head

do you kiss your mother with that mouth?

you kiss your mother with that mouth#English

Alternative form of you kiss your mother with that mouth


ܗܐ ܡܫܠܡ

ܗܐ ܡܫܠܡ • (hā məšallam)


älä unta näe

älä (“don't”) unta (“dream”) näe (“see”); "don't you dream"

dream on! in your dreams! you wish! (used to express skepticism about the possibility of an interlocutor's statement)


még mindig

Még mindig nem érkezett meg a levél.

Még mindig esik az eső.


hová megy

(formal) where are you headed? where are you going?


heads I win, tails you lose

A slight twist on the normal convention when flipping a coin, which is heads I win, tails you win. The flurry of antonymic reversals — heads or tails, you or me, win or lose — sounds euphonious and might seem at first blush like a logically fair shake, which makes the phrase suitable for a fast-talking confidence trick except to the extent that it has become hackneyed and synonymous with rigged arrangements.

I suppose it is just as if he had said to me, "Heads I win, tails you lose." I thought that it was against law; but this man, Lord they call him, quieted me with his reciprocity.

1790, Sir David Dalrymple, The Little Freeholder, a Dramatic Entertainment, in Two Acts, page 31:

I'll flip a coin, heads I win, tails you lose—and the loser must tell a story

1922, Jim Tully, Emmett Lawler, page 163:

So here was an early instance of the "heads I win, tails you lose" dilemma, in which the United States is faced with corrupt regimes, on the one hand, and Islamic militants, on the other—or indeed a collusion between them.

2011, Christopher Hitchens, Arguably: Selected Essays, page 14:

Said to describe a conflict in which someone has a particular advantage from the start.


leugh eadar na sreathan

read between the lines
read between the lines


cho làn ri ugh

Full to the brim (literally "as full as an egg").


bruich lus an-seo

Bruichidh mise lus an-seo!

taste of one's own medicine
taste of one's own medicine

stew in one's own juice
stew in one's own juice

to give someone a taste of one's own medicine, to stew in one's own juice


faigh do latha fhèin air

to get even (literally "to get your own day on")


tha inntinnean móra a' co-smaoineachadh

great minds think alike
great minds think alike


tha a' ghrian air cùlaibh gach sgothan

every cloud has a silver lining
every cloud has a silver lining


ged a bheirte a' bhò dhan doras mhòr rachadh i fhèin dham bhàthaich

ged a bheirte a' bhó dhan doras mhór rachadh i fhéin dhan bhàthaich

you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink (literally "Although the cow will be brought to the front door she will take herself to the byre")


rach a-mach air

to fall out with somebody (literally "to go out on")


some rights reserved

1997, “Perri 6”, Demos, Escaping Poverty: From Safety Nets to Networks of Opportunity, page footer,
This page is covered by the Demos open access licence. Some rights reserved.

The owner, or other copyright holder, of a work simultaneously reserves a number of copyright-related rights and waives a number of other copyright-related rights.


失敗は成功の元

ja-pos

しっぱい は せいこう の もと

失(しっ)敗(ぱい)は成(せい)功(こう)の元(もと) • (shippai wa seikō no moto)

失敗は成功の元 (canonical)
shippai wa seikō no moto (romanization)

Literally, "failure is the basis of success".


失敗は成功の母

しっぱい は せいこう の はは

失(しっ)敗(ぱい)は成(せい)功(こう)の母(はは) • (shippai wa seikō no haha)

失敗は成功の母 (canonical)
shippai wa seikō no haha (romanization)

Literally, "failure is the mother of success".


ante Christum natum

anno XVI ante Christum natum

(literally, “in the year 16 before Christ's birth”)


beszél itt valaki angolul

does anyone here speak English
does anyone here speak English


post Christum natum

[pɔs̠t̪ ˈkʰriːs̠t̪ʊ̃ˑ ˈnäːt̪ʊ̃ˑ]

anno XVI post Chrīstum nātum

The 16th year “after the birth of Christ.”


寝る子は育つ

寝る子は育つ (canonical)
neru ko wa sodatsu (romanization)

a well-slept child is a well-kept child
a well-slept child is a well-kept child


какого хуя

head

како́го ху́я

како́го ху́я • (kakóvo xúja)

како́го ху́я (canonical)
kakóvo xúja (romanization)

Како́го ху́я ты припёрся?

Како́го ху́я они́ доеба́лись до вас?

Why the fuck were they fucking with you?

Како́го ху́я тебе́ от меня́ на́до?


et ceteræ

(hypercorrect, obsolete) Alternative form of et cetera


πόσο κάνει

Πόσο κάνει; • (Póso kánei?)

el-phrase

Πόσο κάνει; • (Póso kánei?)

Πόσο κάνει (canonical)
Póso kánei? (romanization)


πόσο κοστίζει

head

πόσο κοστίζει;

πόσο κοστίζει; • (póso kostízei?)

how much does it cost
how much does it cost


every time one turns around

Whenever I turn around the boss is checking up on me.

Every time you turn around the price of milk has gone up again.

Every time, to an annoyingly repetitive or consistent degree.


whenever one turns around

every time one turns around
every time one turns around#English

Alternative form of every time one turns around


born and bred

She is a born and bred New Yorker.

Oh, you're from America? —Born and bred.

That’s because Nikos Zouganelis, “born and bred” on the party island, has deliberately sought to do something new.

2022 September 4, Helena Smith, “Mykonos has had its fill of champagne-fuelled tourism”, in The Observer:

(idiomatic) Showing characteristics of birth and upbringing, especially in relation to a particular location.


very good

- Find out if there's any claret in the cellar, Jeeves.
- Very good, sir.

B.W. Wooster: If you ask me, art is responsible for most of the trouble in the world.
R. Jeeves: An interesting theory, sir. Would you care to expatiate upon it?
Wooster: As a matter of fact, no, Jeeves. The thought just occurred to me, as thoughts do.
Jeeves: Very good, sir.

1992 May 3, “Comrade Bingo”, in Jeeves and Wooster, season 3, episode 6:

A polite acknowledgement of orders or statements.


сколько это стоит

ско́лько э́то сто́ит?

ско́лько э́то сто́ит? • (skólʹko éto stóit?)

ско́лько э́то сто́ит (canonical)
skólʹko éto stóit? (romanization)

how much does this/that/it cost
how much does it cost

how much does this/that/it cost?, how much is this/that/it?


the enemy of your enemy is your friend

Two parties who have an enemy in common should join forces against it.


that's a wrap

Used to indicate that the activity being engaged in has just ended.


next thing one knows

([Milton Dosantos]) just said they were on the roof and the next thing they knew, they were flat on their backs

1990 July 22, “2 Roofers Hit by Lightning, Man Critically Injured”, in South Florida Sun - Sentinel:

He had three fingers on one hand because one of them had been shot off, and he'd sit there doing this and next thing you know, out would come this three-dimensional folded cage or a box or cranes or snails. Really remarkable.

Roy: You remember the woman from last night? She seemed lovely, right?
Moss: She was a delight.
Roy: Yeah. We get outside, there's a group of tramps, two of whom she knows by name. She starts screaming at them, "You owe me money! You owe me money!" She thinks that the tramps owe her money. Next thing I know, it all kicks off. I'm running for my life. It was a horrible evening, a really horrible evening, and she's a really horrible woman.
Moss: Right. But you slept with her?
Roy: Yeah.

2007 September 28, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 2, Episode 6

(idiomatic, colloquial) suddenly, out of the blue.


not so fast

(idiomatic) Used to tell someone to cease doing something or to call into question what someone has said.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see not, so, fast.


trou normand

Literally, “Norman hole”. The course is served in the traditional belief it will restore appetite.

eau-de-vie, especially calvados, served as a middle course in a large meal


hogyan jutok el a repülőtérre

how do I get to the airport
how do I get to the airport


nagyon finom volt

nagyon (“very”) + finom (“delicious”) + volt (“[it] was”)


no rights reserved

Modelled on earlier all rights reserved.

The owner of a work, or other copyright holder, releases the work into the public domain.


van angol nyelvű étlapjuk

do you have a menu in English
do you have a menu in English


help wanted

Indicates that a position of employment is open.

szukamy pracownika

(the exact position replaced the word pracownik)


יומנעים

head

יוֹמְנָעִים • (yomnaím)

he-phrase

יוֹמְנָעִים • (yomnaím)

יוֹמְנָעִים (canonical)
yomnaím (romanization)

יוֹם (yom, “day”) + נָעִים (naím, “pleasant”)

affix

Used to wish someone a pleasant day, usually in the context of a greeting or farewell.


as you do

I bought a dozen melons before heading home, as one does.

I was memorising the dictionary, as you do, when I came across a strange word that I hadn’t seen before.

(colloquial, humorous) Used to indicate an unusual or unexpected situation.

mint/ahogy bárki/mindenki más

indicating an unusual or unexpected situation


kérem, beszéljen lassabban

[ˈkeːrɛm ˈbɛseːjːɛn ˈlɒʃːɒbːɒn]

please speak more slowly
please speak more slowly


szedsz valamilyen gyógyszert

are you taking any medications
are you taking any medications

(informal, in the singular) are you taking any medications?


kellemes húsvétot

kellemes (“pleasant”) + húsvét (“Easter”) + -ot (accusative suffix)


cum se pronunță acest cuvânt

how do you pronounce this word
how do you pronounce this word


hogy kell ezt a szót kiejteni

hogy (“how”) + kell (“need to”) + ez (“this”) + -t (accusative suffix) + a (“the”) + szó (“word”) + -t (accusative suffix) + kiejteni (“to pronounce”)


Bilagáana bizaadísh dinitsʼaʼ

Bilagáana (“Americans”) + bizaad (“their language”) + -ísh (interrogative suffix) + dinitsʼaʼ (“you understand”)

do you speak English
do you speak English


que faites-vous dans la vie

Literally, “what do you do in (the) life”.


picătura care a umplut paharul

/pi.kəˈtu.ra ˌka.re a umˌplut paˈha.rul/

the straw that broke the camel's back
the straw that broke the camel's back


mal comune mezzo gaudio

a trouble shared is a trouble halved
a trouble shared is a trouble halved


メリクリ

メリークリスマス メリークリスマス#Japanese


メリークリ

メリークリスマス メリークリスマス#Japanese


haud scio an

[äu̯d̪ ˈʃiːo än]

(idiomatic, intransitive, of statement) I do not know whether…(such and such is true), perhaps…(such and such is true)


another county heard from

US, from finding out the results of the very close 1876 US presidential election one county at a time.

Used to note the addition of a new voice to an existing discussion.

1876 United States presidential election


pot să folosesc telefonul Dumneavoastră

/ˌpot sə ˌfo.loˈsesk te.leˌfo.nul ˌdum.ne̯aˈvo̯as.trə/

can I use your phone
can I use your phone


are you deaf

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see are, you, deaf.

(idiomatic, sarcastic) A rhetorical question asked to confront a nondeaf interlocutor who has failed to hear something.


خواهش می‌کنم

head

خواهش میکنم • (xâheš mi-konam)

خواهش میکنم (canonical)
xâheš mi-konam (romanization)

[xɑː.ɦɪ́ʃ méː.kʰʊ.näm]

[xɑː.ɦɪ́ʃ méː.kʰʊ.näm]


tldr

(Internet slang) Alternative form of tl;dr


hver anden

Hver anden person i køen havde en lyserød butterfly på.

Every other person in the line wore a pink bowtie.

about something that is done or occurring very frequently; more frequently than is desired


gidoojibwem ina

do you speak Ojibwe
do you speak something


Diné bizaadísh dinitsʼaʼ

Diné (“Navajo”) + bizaad (“their language”) + -ísh (interrogative suffix) + dinitsʼaʼ (“you understand”)

do you speak Navajo
do you speak something


心が広い

心が広い (canonical)
kokoro ga hiroi (romanization)
心が広かろ (imperfective stem)
こころがひろかろ (imperfective stem)
kokoro ga hirokaro (imperfective)
心が広く (continuative stem)
こころがひろく (continuative stem)
kokoro ga hiroku (continuative)
心が広い (stem terminative)
こころがひろい (stem terminative)
kokoro ga hiroi (terminative)
心が広い (attributive stem)
こころがひろい (attributive stem)
kokoro ga hiroi (attributive)
心が広けれ (hypothetical stem)
こころがひろけれ (hypothetical stem)
kokoro ga hirokere (hypothetical)
心が広かれ (imperative stem)
こころがひろかれ (imperative stem)
kokoro ga hirokare (imperative)
心が広くない (informal negative)
こころがひろくない (informal negative)
kokoro ga hiroku nai (informal negative)
心が広かった (informal past)
こころがひろかった (informal past)
kokoro ga hirokatta (informal past)
心が広くなかった (informal negative past)
こころがひろくなかった (informal negative past)
kokoro ga hiroku nakatta (informal negative past)
心が広いです (formal)
こころがひろいです (formal)
kokoro ga hiroi desu (formal)
心が広くないです (formal negative)
こころがひろくないです (formal negative)
kokoro ga hiroku nai desu (formal negative)
心が広かったです (formal past)
こころがひろかったです (formal past)
kokoro ga hirokatta desu (formal past)
心が広くなかったです (formal negative past)
こころがひろくなかったです (formal negative past)
kokoro ga hiroku nakatta desu (formal negative past)
心が広くて (conjunctive)
こころがひろくて (conjunctive)
kokoro ga hirokute (conjunctive)
心が広ければ (conditional)
こころがひろければ (conditional)
kokoro ga hirokereba (conditional)
心が広かったら (conditional past)
こころがひろかったら (conditional past)
kokoro ga hirokattara (conditional past)
心が広かろう (volitional)
こころがひろかろう (volitional)
kokoro ga hirokarō (volitional)
心が広く (adverbial)
こころがひろく (adverbial)
kokoro ga hiroku (adverbial)
心が広さ (noun-from-adj)
こころがひろさ (noun-from-adj)
kokoro ga hirosa (noun-from-adj)

(literally, their heart is wide) generous, big-hearted


pan per focaccia

tit for tat (idiomatic) equivalent retribution, an eye for an eye, returning exactly what you get


occhio per occhio

an eye for an eye (idiomatic) equivalent retribution, tit for tat, returning exactly what you get


καλό βράδυ

καλό βράδυ • (kaló vrády)

el-phrase

καλό βράδυ • (kaló vrády)


顔が広い

顔が広い (canonical)
kao ga hiroi (romanization)
顔が広かろ (imperfective stem)
かおがひろかろ (imperfective stem)
kao ga hirokaro (imperfective)
顔が広く (continuative stem)
かおがひろく (continuative stem)
kao ga hiroku (continuative)
顔が広い (stem terminative)
かおがひろい (stem terminative)
kao ga hiroi (terminative)
顔が広い (attributive stem)
かおがひろい (attributive stem)
kao ga hiroi (attributive)
顔が広けれ (hypothetical stem)
かおがひろけれ (hypothetical stem)
kao ga hirokere (hypothetical)
顔が広かれ (imperative stem)
かおがひろかれ (imperative stem)
kao ga hirokare (imperative)
顔が広くない (informal negative)
かおがひろくない (informal negative)
kao ga hiroku nai (informal negative)
顔が広かった (informal past)
かおがひろかった (informal past)
kao ga hirokatta (informal past)
顔が広くなかった (informal negative past)
かおがひろくなかった (informal negative past)
kao ga hiroku nakatta (informal negative past)
顔が広いです (formal)
かおがひろいです (formal)
kao ga hiroi desu (formal)
顔が広くないです (formal negative)
かおがひろくないです (formal negative)
kao ga hiroku nai desu (formal negative)
顔が広かったです (formal past)
かおがひろかったです (formal past)
kao ga hirokatta desu (formal past)
顔が広くなかったです (formal negative past)
かおがひろくなかったです (formal negative past)
kao ga hiroku nakatta desu (formal negative past)
顔が広くて (conjunctive)
かおがひろくて (conjunctive)
kao ga hirokute (conjunctive)
顔が広ければ (conditional)
かおがひろければ (conditional)
kao ga hirokereba (conditional)
顔が広かったら (conditional past)
かおがひろかったら (conditional past)
kao ga hirokattara (conditional past)
顔が広かろう (volitional)
かおがひろかろう (volitional)
kao ga hirokarō (volitional)
顔が広く (adverbial)
かおがひろく (adverbial)
kao ga hiroku (adverbial)
顔が広さ (noun-from-adj)
かおがひろさ (noun-from-adj)
kao ga hirosa (noun-from-adj)

widely known, well-known, well connected


می‌خوام بدونم

میخوام بدونم (canonical)
mi-xâm bedunam (romanization)


al sien escient

a (“to”) + le (“the”) + sien (“one's”) + escient (“knowledge”).

Fet Erec, au mien esciant
Ce sont menaces de neant;

c. 1170, Chrétien de Troyes, Érec et Énide:

Erec said "as far as I know
These are empty threats"

to the best of one's knowledge
to the best of one's knowledge

to the best of one's knowledge; as far as one knows


circle gets the square

A phrase commonly used by the host of the game show Hollywood Squares.

"You guys are going to mock me for this aren't you?"
"And circle gets the square!"

(humorous) An affirmative response; often used sarcastically.


I'm hot

Indicates that the speaker is hot (i.e. feeling the sensation of heat, especially to the point of discomfort)


don't feed the troll

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-don't feed the troll.wav

(Internet slang) Said to urge another not to respond to disruptive attention-seeking behavior, particularly in online contexts, by pointing out any such response is likely to be counterproductive.


東施效顰

ㄉㄨㄥ ㄕ ㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄆㄧㄣˊ

дуншисяопинь

/tʊŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ pʰin³⁵/

/tʊŋ⁵⁵ siː⁵⁵ haːu̯²² pʰɐn²¹/

/tʊŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ pʰin³⁵/

/tʊŋ⁵⁵ siː⁵⁵ haːu̯²² pʰɐn²¹/

Based on a story in "The Circling Sky", in Zhuangzi (《莊子·天運》). Xishi (西施), a famous beauty in Chinese history, often frowned because of her heart disease. An ugly woman of the same village imitated Xishi to try to be as beautiful as her, but in turn made herself uglier and scared away the villagers.
:
The ugly woman was unnamed in the original text but people later named her 東施, as 東／东 (dōng, “east”) is the antonym of 西 (xī, “west”)

When Xishi was having heart disease, she would knit her brows and frown on all in her neighbourhood. An ugly woman of the neighbourhood, seeing and admiring her beauty, went home, and also laying her hands on her heart proceeded to stare and frown on all around her. When the rich people of the village saw her, they shut fast their doors and would not go out; when the poor people saw her, they took their wives and children and ran away from her. The woman knew how to admire the frowning beauty, but she did not know how it was that she, though frowning, was beautiful. Alas! It is indeed all over with your Master!

Xīshī bìng xīn ér pín qí lǐ, qí lǐ zhī chǒu rén jiàn ér měi zhī, guī yì pěng xīn ér pín qí lǐ. Qí lǐ zhī fùrén jiàn zhī, jiān bìmén ér bù chū; pín rén jiàn zhī, qiè qī zǐ ér qù zhī zǒu. Bǐ zhī pín měi ér bùzhī pín zhīsuǒyǐ měi. Xī hū! Ér fūzǐ qí qióng zāi!

西施病心而矉其里，其里之醜人見而美之，歸亦捧心而矉其里。其里之富人見之，堅閉門而不出；貧人見之，挈妻子而去之走。彼知矉美而不知矉之所以美。惜乎！而夫子其窮哉！

西施病心而𪾸其里，其里之丑人见而美之，归亦捧心而𪾸其里。其里之富人见之，坚闭门而不出；贫人见之，挈妻子而去之走。彼知𪾸美而不知𪾸之所以美。惜乎！而夫子其穷哉！

东施效颦
東施傚顰
東施效矉
東施傚矉

to imitate others only to make a fool of oneself; to attempt a crude or awkward imitation


lmk

(Internet slang, text messaging) Alternative letter-case form of LMK.


نمی‌دونم

نمیدونم (canonical)
nemi-dunam (romanization)


نمی‌دانم

نمیدانم (canonical)
nemi-dânam (romanization)


BIBO

(nautical) Initialism of bulk in/bags out: a type of bulk carrier that takes in bulk cargo and is equipped to bag it, to provide bagged cargo for disembarkment.

bulk in/bags out

(control theory) Initialism of bounded input, bounded output.


head

sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me

The earliest recording dates from March 1862 in the US, but is implied to have been used earlier.

(idiomatic) A response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference.

ei haukku haavaa tee

a response to taunting proclaiming the speaker's indifference

la bave du crapaud n’atteint pas la blanche colombe

Was kümmert's die Eiche wenn die Sau dran schabt

lāṭhī aur patthar merī haḍḍiyõ ko toṛ sakte ha͠i, lekin śabd mujhe kabhī coṭ nahī̃ deṅge

लाठी और पत्थर मेरी हड्डियों को तोड़ सकते हैं, लेकिन शब्द मुझे कभी चोट नहीं देंगे

xotʹ gorškóm nazoví, tólʹko v péčku ne stavʹ

хоть горшко́м назови́, то́лько в пе́чку не ставь

sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me

sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me

sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me


het kan vriezen en het kan dooien

Literally, “it may freeze and it may thaw”.

lit

(idiomatic) anything is possible, anything could happen


pigs can fly

(idiomatic) Alternative form of pigs might fly


pigs might fly

"I'm sure he'll pay you back tomorrow." "Yeah right, and pigs might fly."

(idiomatic) A response (often with a hint of sarcasm) to a situation which one thinks that there is no chance of ever occurring.


furtună-n pahar de apă

storm in a tea kettle
storm in a tea kettle


RTB

(military) Initialism of return to base.


به خدا اعتقاد داری

head

به خدا اعتقاد داری؟

به خدا اعتقاد داری؟ • (be xodâ e'teqâd dâri?)

به خدا اعتقاد داری ؟ (canonical)
be xodâ e'teqâd dâri? (romanization)

[bä xʊ.d̪ɑ́ː ʔe̞ʔ.t̪ʰɪ.qɑ́ːd̪ d̪ɑ́ː.ɾiː]

[bä xʊ.d̪ɑ́ː ʔeː.t̪ʰɪ.qɑ́ːd̪ d̪ɑ́ː.ɾiː]

[bä xu.d̪ɔ́ː ʔeː.t̪ʰi.qɔ́ːd̪̥ d̪ɔ́ː.ɾi]

[be xo.d̪ɒ́ː ʔeʔ.t̪ʰe.ʁɒ́ːd̪̥ d̪ɒ́ː.ɹiː]

[bä χu.d̪ɔ́ ʔeʔ.t̪ʰi.qɔ́d̪ d̪ɔ́.ɾi]

do you believe in God
do you believe in God


به خدا اعتقاد دارید

به خدا اعتقاد دارید؟

به خدا اعتقاد دارید؟ • (be xodâ e'teqâd dârid?)

به خدا اعتقاد دارید ؟ (canonical)
be xodâ e'teqâd dârid? (romanization)

[bɪ xʊ.d̪ɑ́ː ʔe̞ʔ.t̪ʰɪ.qɑːd̪ d̪ɑː.ɾeːd̪]

[bɪ xʊ.d̪ɑ́ː ʔeː.t̪ʰɪ.qɑːd̪ d̪ɑː.ɾeːn]

[bi xu.d̪ɔ́ː ʔeː.t̪ʰi.qɔːd̪̥ d̪ɔː.ɾeːd̪̥]

[be xo.d̪ɒ́ː ʔeʔ.t̪ʰe.ʁɒːd̪̥ d̪ɒː.ɹiːd̪̥]

[be xo.d̪ɒ́ː ʔeʔ.t̪ʰe.ʁɒːd̪̥ d̪ɒː.ɹiːn]


BCNU

(Internet slang) Abbreviation of be seeing you (a goodbye)


think again

No. (as a rejection of somebody's stated belief or idea)


God does not play dice with the universe

From a quotation of Albert Einstein, "I, at any rate, am convinced that [God] does not throw dice" [Jedenfalls bin ich überzeugt, daß der nicht würfelt.], by which he expressed his dissatisfaction with the preeminence of probability in the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. Einstein himself used variants of the phrase at different times. (See Albert Einstein on Wikiquote.Wikiquote).

Copenhagen interpretation
Copenhagen interpretation

Probability (as applied in the Copenhagen interpretation) is an unsatisfactory basis for understanding quantum mechanics.

Albert Einstein
Copenhagen interpretation


LQTM

Mustn't.... feed... the troll... Mustn't... feed... the troll.... ¶ Arrgggghhhh. ¶ A .483 slugging percentage does NOT mean that Stewart has a 48.3% chance of getting an extra base hit on (sic) his next at bat. ¶ LQTM LQTM LQTM

2001 May 16, Chuck Van Den Corput, “Re: OPS - an index for dummies”, in alt.sports.baseball.tor-bluejays (Usenet):

I'm sitting here LQTM, recalling Barry's explanation of my backing up instructions on the hand-held CB.

2012 June 7, Janet Wilder, “Re: was "Our Maiden Voyage", now JEEP towing”, in rec.outdoors.rv-travel (Usenet):

(Internet slang) Initialism of laughing quietly to myself.


lmao

(Internet slang) Alternative letter-case form of LMAO


سه کاف

سه کاف • (se kâf)

کس (kos, “pussy”)

کون (kun, “ass”)

کیر (kir, “cock”)

the three kafs; three of the more vulgar words in Persian, all of which begin with the letter ک (kaf).


hur mycket kostar det

how much does it cost
how much does it cost


time you got a watch

(humorous, sarcastic) A phrase used to reply to the question what time is it?.


LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-that's for me to know and you to find out.wav

(informal, colloquial, somewhat childish) A phrase used to reply to a question whose answer the speaker doesn't want to reveal.

a phrase used to reply to a question whose answer the speaker doesn't want to reveal

dat is voor jou een vraag en voor mij een weet


遠交近攻

ㄩㄢˇ ㄐㄧㄠ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄍㄨㄥ

юаньцзяоцзиньгун

/ɥɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕin⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

/jyːn¹³ kaːu̯⁵⁵ kɐn²² kʊŋ⁵⁵/

/ɥɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕin⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

/jyːn¹³ kaːu̯⁵⁵ kɐn²² kʊŋ⁵⁵/

collaborating with distant allies and attacking nearby enemies (from the Thirty-Six Stratagems)


引頸而望

ㄧㄣˇ ㄐㄧㄥˇ ㄦˊ ㄨㄤˋ

иньцзинъэрван

/in²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ wɑŋ⁵¹/

/in²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕiŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ wɑŋ⁵¹/

to stretch the neck to look (e.g. over a fence)


膽戰心驚

ㄉㄢˇ ㄓㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄐㄧㄥ

даньчжаньсиньцзин

/tän²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵/

/taːm³⁵ t͡siːn³³ sɐm⁵⁵ kɪŋ⁵⁵/

/tã⁵²⁻³⁵ t͡siaŋ²¹³⁻⁵⁵ sim³³⁻²³ kĩã³³/

/tän²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵/

/taːm³⁵ t͡siːn³³ sɐm⁵⁵ kɪŋ⁵⁵/

/tã⁵²⁻³⁵ t͡siaŋ²¹³⁻⁵⁵ sim³³⁻²³ kĩã³³/

to tremble with fear; to be terror-stricken


to what do I owe the pleasure

At that moment the headmaster Mr Grave entered the classroom without knocking, his long coat flapping behind him like a cape. The naughty kids at the back of the class who had been texting throughout the lesson quickly hid their mobile phones under the desk. “Ah, Mr Grave, to what do I owe the pleasure?” said Miss Midge, smiling.

2012, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], “The Midget”, in Ratburger, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN, page 109:

(formal or humorous) A question asked to know the reason for being visited by the interlocutor.


實事求是

ㄕˊ ㄕˋ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄕˋ

/ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/sɐt̚² siː²² kʰɐu̯²¹ siː²²/

/ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/sɐt̚² siː²² kʰɐu̯²¹ siː²²/

to seek truth from facts; to be practical and pragmatic


艱苦奮鬥

ㄐㄧㄢ ㄎㄨˇ ㄈㄣˋ ㄉㄡˋ

цзянькуфэньдоу

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ kʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹ fən⁵¹⁻⁵³ toʊ̯⁵¹/

/kaːn⁵⁵ fuː³⁵ fɐn¹³ tɐu̯³³/

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ kʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹ fən⁵¹⁻⁵³ toʊ̯⁵¹/

/kaːn⁵⁵ fuː³⁵ fɐn¹³ tɐu̯³³/

Young people should work hard in the face of hardship.

Niánqīngrén yīnggāi bǎochí jiānkǔfèndòu de zuòfēng.

年輕人應該保持艱苦奮鬥的作風。

年轻人应该保持艰苦奋斗的作风。

Rich or poor, we all must work hard in these hard times.

Bùguǎn wǒmen de shēnghuó pínkùn háishì fùyù, wǒmen dōu děi jiānkǔfèndòu.

不管我們的生活貧困還是富裕，我們都得艱苦奮鬥。

不管我们的生活贫困还是富裕，我们都得艰苦奋斗。

We must strive to encourage this zeal for hard work and at the same time pay still greater attention to solving the pressing problems in their work and everyday life.

1956, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《論十大關係》 (On the Ten Major Relationships), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

Wǒmen xūyào dàlì fāyáng tāmen zhè zhǒng jiānkǔfèndòu de jīngshén, yě xūyào gèng duō de zhùyì jiějué tāmen zài láodòng hé shēnghuó zhōng de pòqiè wèntí.

我們需要大力發揚他們這種艱苦奮鬥的精神，也需要更多地注意解決他們在勞動和生活中的迫切問題。

我们需要大力发扬他们这种艰苦奋斗的精神，也需要更多地注意解决他们在劳动和生活中的迫切问题。

But it has become better off year by year, and now, after four years of hard struggle, most of its households have reserves of grain.

1957, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《關於正確處理人民內部矛盾的問題》 (On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

Jīngguò le sì nián jiānkǔfèndòu, yī nián yī nián hǎo qilai, juédàduōshù de shèyuán chéng le yúliánghù.

經過了四年艱苦奮鬥，一年一年好起來，絕大多數的社員成了餘糧戶。

经过了四年艰苦奋斗，一年一年好起来，绝大多数的社员成了余粮户。

to struggle through difficult times; to work hard and push through despite hardship


吃喝玩樂

ㄔ ㄏㄜ ㄨㄢˊ ㄌㄜˋ

/ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ xɤ⁵⁵ wän³⁵ lɤ⁵¹/

ㄔ ㄏㄜ ㄨㄢˊㄦ ㄌㄜˋ

/ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ xɤ⁵⁵ wɑɻ³⁵ lɤ⁵¹/

/hɛːk̚³ hɔːt̚³ wuːn²² lɔːk̚²/

/ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ xɤ⁵⁵ wän³⁵ lɤ⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ xɤ⁵⁵ wɑɻ³⁵ lɤ⁵¹/

/hɛːk̚³ hɔːt̚³ wuːn²² lɔːk̚²/

He won't do an honest day's work, and instead spends his days just having fun.

Tā bùwùzhèngyè, tiāntiān jiù zhīdào chīhēwánlè.

他不務正業，天天就知道吃喝玩樂。

他不务正业，天天就知道吃喝玩乐。

eat, drink and be merry
eat, drink and be merry

(derogatory) to eat, drink and be merry; to seek pleasure instead of doing work


what was someone smoking

Suggesting the smoking of mind-altering drugs.

The SGZ is primarily a signal that Alfa Romeo is back in business as serious maker of serious cars although the Zagato body puts one in mind of the FI team owner whose response to a new car was to ask his designer 'What were you smoking when you designed that?'

1996, Mark Lawrence, A to Z of sports cars, 1945-1990, page 1943:

“...We don't want to live there. It's dark, creepy and it stank. What were you smoking when you bought this place? Hope you bought it real cheap, where is your change at?”
“Shut the hell up”, James snapped back. “I'm your daddy and you going to live where I move you”.

2005, Gemäse Simmons, Worth Fighting For!: The Tragedies & Triumphs of Professor Renee ..., page 25:

Bush and company had a fantasy that we could bring democracy to Iraq and it would cause a domino effect in the Middle East. Suddenly every Arab nation would embrace democracy. What were they smoking?

2007, Lee A. Iacocca, Catherine Whitney, Where have all the leaders gone?, page 82:

(idiomatic, humorous) Used to express surprise about someone's uncharacteristic or wacky, offbeat past actions.


as good as it gets

The best available under the circumstances.

so gut es nur geht

the best available under the circumstances


tʼáá ákótʼée doo

tʼáá ákótʼée doo

/tʼáː ʔákʰótʼêː tòː/

tʼáá (“just”) + ákótʼé (“it is thus”) + doo (“it will be”)


what the eff

“Don't take this the wrong way, Archie,” Arla begins, “but what the ef are you talking about?”

2014, Michael Griffo, Starfall (The Darkborn Legacy), New York, NY: Kensington Publishing Corporation, →ISBN, page 94:


山窮水盡

the mountains run bare, and the streams run dry

ㄕㄢ ㄑㄩㄥˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄐㄧㄣˋ

шаньцюншуйцзинь

/ʂän⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ʊŋ³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕin⁵¹/

/saːn⁵⁵ kʰʊŋ²¹ sɵy̯³⁵ t͡sɵn²²/

/ʂän⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ʊŋ³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕin⁵¹/

/saːn⁵⁵ kʰʊŋ²¹ sɵy̯³⁵ t͡sɵn²²/

We are already at the end of our rope, there's nothing left to risk.

wǒmen yǐjīng shānqióngshuǐjìn, wúfǎ zài qù dǔ le

我們已經山窮水盡，無法再去賭了

我们已经山穷水尽，无法再去赌了

the end of one's rope
the end of one's rope

having no more options; being at the end of one's rope; extremely desperate and hopeless