Idioms About the Body
Swedish idioms built on body parts.
A guided tour of the Swedish body-idiom anatomy: head to foot, ear to heart — where English pulls legs, Swedish jokes; where English picks bones, Swedish plucks geese.
- 1
ha huvud för något
to have a good head for something
Tip: lit. the same.
- 2
tappa huvudet
to lose your head
Tip: lit. the same.
- 3
hålla huvudet kallt
to keep your head
Tip: lit. 'keep the head cold'.
- 4
sväva på moln
to have your head in the clouds
Tip: lit. 'float on clouds'.
- 5
sova på saken
to sleep on it
Tip: lit. the same.
- 6
vara idel öra
to be all ears
Tip: lit. 'be nothing but ear'.
- 7
slå dövörat till
to turn a deaf ear
Tip: lit. 'turn the deaf ear to'.
- 8
in genom ena örat och ut genom andra
in one ear and out the other
Tip: lit. the same.
- 9
hålla ett öga på
to keep an eye on
Tip: lit. the same.
- 10
blunda för
to turn a blind eye
Tip: lit. 'to close your eyes to'.
- 11
vara överens
to see eye to eye
Tip: lit. 'to be in agreement'.
- 12
mitt framför näsan
under someone's nose
Tip: lit. 'right in front of the nose'.
- 13
lägga näsan i blöt
to stick your nose in
Tip: lit. 'put your nose in soak'.
- 14
ha näsa för något
to have a nose for something
Tip: lit. the same.
- 15
bita sig i tungan
to bite your tongue
Tip: lit. the same.
- 16
på tungan
on the tip of your tongue
Tip: lit. 'on the tongue'.
- 17
hålla tyst
to hold your tongue
Tip: lit. 'to keep quiet'.
- 18
ha tungt hjärta
to have a heavy heart
Tip: lit. the same.
- 19
ta det till sig
to take it to heart
Tip: lit. 'take it to oneself'.
- 20
ha hjärtat på rätta stället
to have your heart in the right place
Tip: lit. the same.
- 21
få kalla fötter
to get cold feet
Tip: lit. the same.
- 22
trampa i klaveret
to put your foot in it
Tip: lit. 'step in the accordion'.
- 23
stå på egna ben
to stand on your own feet
Tip: lit. 'stand on your own legs'.
- 24
springa benen av sig
to be run off your feet
Tip: lit. 'run your legs off'.
- 25
skoja med någon
to pull someone's leg
Tip: lit. 'to joke with someone'.
- 26
ge någon en hjälpande hand
to give someone a hand
Tip: lit. the same.
- 27
ha fullt upp
to have your hands full
Tip: lit. 'have it fully up'.
- 28
tvätta sina händer
to wash your hands of it
Tip: lit. the same.
- 29
hand på hjärtat
hand on heart
Tip: lit. the same.
- 30
ha tummen mitt i handen
to be all thumbs
Tip: lit. 'have the thumb in the middle of the hand'.
- 31
hålla tummarna
to keep your fingers crossed
Tip: lit. 'hold the thumbs' — not crossed fingers.
- 32
peka finger
to point the finger
Tip: lit. the same.
- 33
ha ett finger med i spelet
to have a finger in the pie
Tip: lit. 'have a finger in the game'.
- 34
ta på sig skulden
to shoulder the blame
Tip: lit. 'take the blame upon oneself'.
- 35
umgås med
to rub shoulders with
Tip: lit. 'socialise with'.
- 36
andas någon i nacken
to breathe down someone's neck
Tip: lit. the same.
- 37
knäcka ryggen
to break your back
Tip: lit. the same.
- 38
ha tjockt skinn
to have a thick skin
Tip: lit. the same.
- 39
gå under skinnet
to get under your skin
Tip: lit. the same.
- 40
vara skinn och ben
to be skin and bone
Tip: lit. the same.
- 41
ha en gås oplockad
to have a bone to pick
Tip: lit. 'have an unplucked goose'.
- 42
känna det i märgen
to feel it in your bones
Tip: lit. 'feel it in the marrow'.
- 43
ha blod på händerna
to have blood on your hands
Tip: lit. the same.
- 44
svettas blod
to sweat blood
Tip: lit. the same.
- 45
vara en nagel i ögat
to be a pain in the neck
Tip: lit. 'be a nail in the eye'.
- 46
vara utled på
to be sick and tired
Tip: lit. 'be fed up with'.
- 47
vara utsliten
to be worn out
Tip: lit. the same.
- 48
komma på fötter
to get back on your feet
Tip: lit. the same.
- 49
vara frisk som en nötkärna
to be as fit as a fiddle
Tip: lit. 'healthy as a nut kernel'.
- 50
vara i god form
to be in good shape
Tip: lit. the same.