Home Language HacksExpressions & Idioms 49 Hilarious Norwegian Idioms and Sayings That Will Make You Giggle

49 Hilarious Norwegian Idioms and Sayings That Will Make You Giggle

by Michele
6 comments
Funny Norwegian Sayings and Norwegian Idioms
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From “smoking your socks” to “being in the wind”, here are 49 funny Norwegian sayings translated from Norwegian into English, that’ll make you giggle.

This year, I decided I wanted to learn Norwegian. I’ve visited Norway a few times and fell in love with the unbelievable beauty of its fjords, such as Trolltunga, and learned all about the Vikings in Oslo.  I even went to Oslo for a two week Norwegian language holiday. With every language I learn, I love to learn its most popular idioms and expressions and slip them into my conversations.

With the help of my dear friend Lisa, from Fjords and Beaches, here is a list of typical Norwegian expressions and sayings — directly translated into English. They also happen to be very funny!


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Norwegian Idioms and Sayings Translated into English

1. Å være pling i bollen

Translation: To be a ping in the bowl.
Meaning: To be empty-headed/stupid (from the “ping”-like noise an empty bowl makes when you tap it).

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å være pling i bollen

2. Å få blod på tannen

Translation: To get blood on your tooth.
Meaning: To become inspired / driven to do something.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å få blod på tannen

3. Å stå/sitter med skjegget i postkassa

Translation: To stand / sit with your beard in the post box.
Meaning: To have ended up in a stupid situation, that you may have cheated your way into.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å stå/sitter med skjegget i postkassa

4. Man skal ikke skue hunden på hårene

Translation: You shouldn’t judge the dog on its hairs.
Meaning: You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Man skal ikke skue hunden på hårene

5. Is i magen

Translation: Ice in one’s stomach.
Meaning: Stay in control, play it cool.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Is i magen

6. Å gjøre kål på

Translation: To make cabbage of
Meaning: To finish something so that it is gone, for example by eating the leftovers ‘gjøre kål på restene’.
Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å gjøre kål på

7. Å være på bærtur / på viddene / ute og sykle

Translation: Berry-picking /  on the moors /  out cycling
Meaning: To describe someone who does not know what they’re talking about or is lost (either literally or in a conversation).

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å være på bærtur / på viddene / ute og sykle

8. Å være på pletten

Translation: To be on the spot.
Meaning: Where and when you’re supposed to be.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å være på pletten

9. Det er aldri så galt at det ikke er godt for noe!

Translation: It’s never so bad that it’s not good for something.
Meaning: The Norwegian version of “When God closes a door, he opens a window”

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Det er aldri så galt at det ikke er godt for noe!

10. Å skrive noe bak øret

Translation: To write something behind the ear.
Meaning: To make a mental note of something; to make sure to remember something.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å skrive noe bak øret

11. Å snakke rett fra leveren

Translation: To speak directly from the liver.
Meaning: To speak plainly/truthfully without sugar-coating.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å snakke rett fra leveren

12. Der er ugler i mosen

Translation: There are owls in the moss.
Meaning: Something is off or not quite right. There is something secretive/sinister about a situation. Originally the saying was “Der er ulver i mosen”  which translates to ‘there are wolves in the bog’.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Der er ugler i mosen

13. Å ta beina på nakken

Translation: To put your legs on your neck.
Meaning: To run away from something.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å ta beina på nakken

14. Å ha en finger med i spillet

Translation: To have a finger included in the game.
Meaning: To play a part in something (often something sneaky).

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å ha en finger med i spillet

15. Det er helt Texas!

Translation: That’s completely Texas!
Meaning: That’s crazy! (inspired by old Wild West movies.)

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Det er helt Texas!

16. Hva er i veien?

Translation: What’s in the way?
Meaning: What’s wrong?

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Hva er i veien?

17. Å svelge noen kameler

Translation: To swallow some camels.
Meaning: To give in / to chose to ignore something, often to keep the peace.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å svelge noen kameler

18. Det er helt på trynet!

Translation: It’s completely on the snout.
Meaning: It’s totally ridiculous.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Det er helt på trynet!

19. Håper at det smaker

Translation: I hope that it tastes.
Meaning: I hope it tastes good, bon appetit!

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Håper at det smaker

20. Har du røyka sokka dine?

Translation: Have you smoked your socks?
Meaning: Are you crazy?

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Har du røyka sokka dine?

21. Snakke i munnen på hverandre

Translation: Talking in each other’s mouths.
Meaning: People are talking at the same time, talking over each other / one another.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Snakke i munnen på hverandre

22. Holde tunga rett i munnen

Translation: Keeping the tongue straight in the mouth.
Meaning: To concentrate.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Holde tunga rett i munnen

23. Ta knekken på (meg)!

Translation: This breaks me! “Knekk” means  to break in half.
Meaning: It’s killing me!

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Ta knekken på (meg)!

24. Ryk og reis

Translation: Smoke and travel.
Meaning: Get the hell out of here.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Ryk og reis


Travelling to Norway? Then you should learn these top 10 Norwegian phrases


25. Kjøpe katta i sekken

Translation: Buy the cat in a bag.
Meaning: When you buy something without looking at it properly and either shortchanged cheated. Buying a pig in a poke.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Kjøpe katta i sekken

26. Jeg har det på tungen

Translation: I have it on my tongue.
Meaning: It’s on the tip of my tongue.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Jeg har det på tungen

27. Bite i gresset

Translation: Bite the grass.
Meaning: Admit defeat.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Bite i gresset

28. Å leve på luft og kjærlighet

Translation: Living on air and love.
Meaning: Be so madly in love that you don’t think about anything else.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å leve på luft og kjærlighet

29. Å gjøre noen en bjørnetjeneste

Translation: Do someone a bearfavour.
Meaning: Despite trying to do the right thing, you do more harm than good. This analogy comes from the French poet Jean de La Fontaine’s fable where a bear accidentally kills his master after swatting a fly on his head.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å gjøre noen en bjørnetjeneste

30. Å stikke noe under en stol

Translation: Stick something under a chair.
Meaning: To try and hide something.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å stikke noe under en stol

31. Å være i vinden

Translation: Being in the wind.
Meaning: To be popular or fashionable.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å være i vinden

32. Som plommen i egget

Translation: Like the yolk in the egg.
Meaning: To be in an ideal situation. This comes from the idea that a growing chick has all the nutrients it needs to grow.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Som plommen i egget

33. Saken er biff

Translation: The matter is beef.
Meaning: When a matter is settled, ‘it is beef’. All sorted and agreed on. This expression dates back to the unification of Norway and Sweden. When the military approved something, the officer would sign ‘bif’, which was short for ‘approved’ in Swedish. As a joke, Norwegian’s called it ‘biff’.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Saken er biff

34. En glad laks

Translation: A happy salmon.
Meaning: A positive and cheerful person. The English equivalent would be happy-go-lucky.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - En glad laks

35. Å tenke koffert

Translation: To think suitcase.
Meaning: Someone who associated everything with sex, similar to having one’s head in the gutter.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å tenke koffert

36. Flyte på flesket

Translation: Float on the fat.
Meaning: Using your body as your own flotation device. Literally, floating because you have fat on your body.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Flyte på flesket

37. Å ha bein i nesa

Translation: To have bones in your nose.
Meaning: To be tough and determined and not afraid to speak up.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å ha bein i nesa

38. Jeg har en høne å plukke med noen

Translation: I have a hen to pluck with someone.
Meaning: To have a bone to pick with someone.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Jeg har en høne å plukke med noen

39. Å være født bak en brunost

Translation: To be born behind a brown cheese.
Meaning: To be stupid. Brown cheese or “mysost” is a famous Norwegian food, a type of almost caramel-like goat’s cheese).

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å være født bak en brunost

40. Å være midt i smørøyet

Translation: To be in the middle of the butter melting in the porridge.
Meaning: To be in a great place, find yourself in a favourable position. The smørøye is the actual blob of butter in the porridge. As a side note, ideally, you eat the porridge before the butter is melted, but that’s a whole other discussion.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å være midt i smørøyet

41. Å koke bort i kålen

Translation: To boil away/into nothing in the cabbage.
Meaning: When an idea or plan comes to nothing through waffling. This idea comes from when meat is reduced to nothing when cooked in a cabbage stew for a long time.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å koke bort i kålen

42. Å tråkke i salaten

Translation: To step in the salad, stepped in the salad.
Meaning: To make a faux pas. You’ve messed up, English equivalent ‘you’ve put your foot in it’ or ‘make a blunder’.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å tråkke i salaten

43. Å grave ned stridsøksen

Translation: To bury the battle axe.
Meaning: To bury the hatchet.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å grave ned stridsøksen

44. Å røyke fredspipe

Translation: To smoke a peace pipe
Meaning: To make up with someone following a disagreement.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Å røyke fredspipe

45. Det er hipp som happ for meg

Translation: It’s hip like happ for me
Meaning: Either (or any) way is fine (by me)

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Det er hipp som happ for meg

46. Stopp en halv

Translation: Stop one hall.
Meaning: Hold your horse.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Stopp en halv

47. Tant og fjas

Translation: Taunt and silliness.
Meaning: Silly and/or useless things/activities.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Tant og fjas

48. Brillefint

Translation: Glasses-nice.
Meaning: Splendid.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Brillefint

49. Det er helt hull i hodet

Translation: That is completely hole in the head.
Meaning: That is very stupid / ridiculous.

Norwegian Sayings and Idioms - Det er helt hull i hodet

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49 Funny Norwegian idioms, Phrases and Sayings


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Over to you!

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6 comments

Katharine Catelotti December 9, 2019 - 02:40

This is great! Thank you!

Reply
Michele December 9, 2019 - 16:43

Thank you Katharine! ;)

Reply
Lisa Rein September 9, 2019 - 22:00

I think Stop en halv means “Stop one half”

Reply
Anne Ma Brox March 1, 2020 - 11:21

You are right, stopp en halv litterally translates to stop one half, but the whole thing is a misunderstanding of an old English sailors expression; «stop and haul». Norwegian sailors adapted that to «stopp en hal», which later on found it’s way into general Norwegian language. It still equals to «hold your horses», and is correctly spelled «stopp en hal».

Reply
Per Gjærde March 2, 2020 - 14:43

“Stopp en hal” is actually norwenglish: Stop and haul!
“Living on air and love” means living on a very tight budget.

Reply
Michele March 17, 2020 - 17:53

Tusen takk Per :)

Reply

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