I know I'm childish and do pointless things. But I wouldn't make it through the days, weeks, months and years any other way.
Of course there are things that must be done right away, properly and without fooling around. But then there are things that can be done any way I please, and I have chosen this way of life. Relaxed fooling around here and there. When it doesn't matter. A little bit of this, a little bit of that because that's what I want to do right now. Not stressing about minor things and not explaining why I want to do what I want to do.
There's a saying in Finland for that kind of attitude. ”Asialliset hommat suoritetaan, muuten ollaan kun Ellun kanat.” The word for word translation for it goes: "Decent jobs are done, otherwise we are like Ellu's chickens." Which sounds a bit... odd and might require some explaining.
The saying comes from famous Finnish book called The Unknown Soldier written by Väinö Linna. (Tuntematon sotilas). Ellun kanat (Ellu's chickens) with its associates organized a contest in 2012 for a proper translation to the phrase that has Ellu's chickens in it.
There were three categories and the winners were:
Belles-lettres category – Most precise and descriptive translation:
”When duty calls, we react, when bunk calls, we relax.” – Petri Linja-aho
Humour category – Funniest translation:
”We work our way to Tipperary. Offroad we thirst for Bloody Mary.” – Jouni Hynynen
School category – For all Finnish primary school 5. grades:
”We take care of our duties and the rest of the time we are as lazy as Garfield.” – Pihlajisto school 5b-class, teacher Jaana-Maija Pohjala
What's the best phrase you've stumbled on that makes no sense when translated to English literally?
Or even better, sounds creepy or totally weird if translated word for word. Now's your change, show me what weird things your language has and please, don't bother to explain, let me guess what the saying actually means. This should be fun... :)
I'll start:
"Joka kuuseen kurkottaa se katajaan kapsahtaa."
"The one that reaches to a spruce, falls in to a juniper."
"Rumat ne ryysyillä komeilee."
"Ugly ones flaunt with rags."
...couldn't remember any really good ones, so now it's easy for you to top this. :)
Come ooooooooooon!!!!
I like the translated sayings. We have a lot of sayings in norwegian aswell. One of my favorites is «ugler i mosen» which means «owls in the moss», a similar saying in english would be «something is fishy»🦉🐟
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I would have never guessed that it means something fishy. :D
Haha, it originates from danish where it means «wolfs in the swamp», at it was poorly translated to norwegian and it has just stuck around😅
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Poor translations are the best! And if you haven't stumbled on to this danish language video yet, now you have:
Hahaha, that video is the best! the teachers showed it to us in Norwegian class back in school :)
You pushing to get the monthly author badge? Write a very very long post and then cut it up arbitrarily and post for one month. :)
The only problem is writing that very very long post though.
That saying makes sense in the chicken form, unless Ellu had very odd chickens, special mythology chickens who cause the end of the world when they stop pecking mindlessly?
If I didn't get it from this month, I remember your advice next month... that starts tomorrow so I better get writing that 10 million word post now.
True that too. Or if Ellu treats her chicken well, cuddles with them, only uses the eggs and never cuts of their heads, that sounds good.
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