Idioms About Trouble and Rescue
Swedish idioms for emergencies, close calls and helping out.
Trouble and rescue in idioms, story-shaped: getting into a tight spot, the close call (i grevens tid — in the count's time!), keeping or losing your head, the rescuer's phrases, the aftermath accounting (tur i oturen, kom lindrigt undan), the boy-who-cried-wolf clause — and the preparedness sermon that ends in sinnesro, peace of mind. Crisis-Swedish has a proverb for every stage; here they all are.
- 1
vara i knipa
to be in a tight spot
Tip: lit. the same.
- 2
råka illa ut
to get into trouble
Tip: lit. the same.
- 3
hamna i blåsväder
to land in hot water
Tip: lit. 'end up in windy weather'.
- 4
ha det motigt
to be up against it
Tip: lit. 'have it against the wind'.
- 5
vara på håret
to have a close shave
Tip: lit. 'be on the hair'.
- 6
med minsta marginal
by a hair's breadth
Tip: lit. 'by the smallest margin'.
- 7
i grevens tid
in the nick of time
Tip: lit. 'in the count's time'.
- 8
precis i tid
just in time
Tip: lit. the same.
- 9
i elfte timmen
at the eleventh hour
Tip: lit. the same.
- 10
tappa huvudet
to lose your head
Tip: lit. the same.
- 11
hålla huvudet kallt
to keep a cool head
Tip: lit. 'keep the head cold'.
- 12
få panik
to panic
Tip: lit. the same.
- 13
stelna till
to freeze
Tip: lit. 'to stiffen'.
- 14
handla på instinkt
to act on instinct
Tip: lit. the same.
- 15
tänka snabbt
to think on your feet
Tip: lit. 'think quickly'.
- 16
kliva fram
to step up
Tip: lit. 'step forward'.
- 17
räcka en hjälpande hand
to lend a hand
Tip: lit. the same.
- 18
komma till undsättning
to come to the rescue
Tip: lit. the same.
- 19
rädda situationen
to save the day
Tip: lit. 'save the situation'.
- 20
vara en räddare i nöden
to be a lifesaver
Tip: lit. 'be a rescuer in need'.
- 21
stå i tacksamhetsskuld
to owe someone your life
Tip: lit. 'be in debt of gratitude'.
- 22
slå larm
to raise the alarm
Tip: lit. the same.
- 23
ropa varg
to cry wolf
Tip: lit. the same.
- 24
ett falskt alarm
a false alarm
Tip: lit. the same.
- 25
göra väsen av sig
to make a fuss
Tip: lit. the same.
- 26
göra en höna av en fjäder
to make a mountain of a molehill
Tip: lit. 'make a hen from a feather'.
- 27
tona ner det
to play it down
Tip: lit. the same.
- 28
hålla tyst om det
to keep quiet about it
Tip: lit. the same.
- 29
bättre en gång för mycket
better safe than sorry
Tip: lit. 'better once too many'.
- 30
för säkerhets skull
to be on the safe side
Tip: lit. 'for safety's sake'.
- 31
räkna med det värsta
to expect the worst
Tip: lit. the same.
- 32
hoppas på det bästa
to hope for the best
Tip: lit. the same.
- 33
peppar peppar
to touch wood
Tip: lit. 'pepper pepper' — the Swedish gesture.
- 34
ha tur i oturen
to be lucky in misfortune
Tip: lit. the same.
- 35
klara sig med förskräckelsen
to escape with a fright
Tip: lit. the same.
- 36
komma lindrigt undan
to get off lightly
Tip: lit. the same.
- 37
det kunde ha gått värre
it could have been worse
Tip: lit. the same.
- 38
ta lärdom av det
to learn from it
Tip: lit. the same.
- 39
aldrig mer
never again
Tip: lit. the same.
- 40
lärdomar dragna
lessons learned
Tip: lit. the same.
- 41
vara förberedd
to be prepared
Tip: lit. the same.
- 42
den som är varnad är väpnad
forewarned is forearmed
Tip: lit. the same.
- 43
ha en reservplan
to have a plan B
Tip: lit. the same.
- 44
hoppas man aldrig behöver den
to hope you never need it
Tip: lit. the same.
- 45
men ha den ändå
but to have it anyway
Tip: lit. the same.
- 46
sova bättre om natten
to sleep more soundly
Tip: lit. the same.
- 47
det är hela poängen
that's the whole point
Tip: lit. the same.
- 48
sinnesro
peace of mind
Tip: lit. the same.
- 49
värt varenda krona
worth every krona
Tip: lit. the same.
- 50
och varenda minut
and every minute
Tip: lit. the same.