Vivid Imagery & Humor
🇫🇮 Pihalla kuin tamponin naru
🇬🇧 Outside or clueless, like the string of a tampon
Meaning: Clearly out of it, like a hanging string
🇫🇮 Olla naama norsun vitulla
🇬🇧 To have a face like an elephant’s vagina
Meaning: To look extremely unhappy or grumpy
🇫🇮 Kuin perseeseen ammuttu karhu
🇬🇧 Like a bear shot in the ass
Meaning: Describes someone who’s extremely angry or grumpy
🇫🇮 Turha pinnistää kun kakka on jo housussa
🇬🇧 It’s too late to push when you have already pooped yourself
🇫🇮 Ei ole kuin luuta ja nahkaa
🇬🇧 Nothing but bones and skin
Meaning: Describes someone who is very skinny or frail
🇫🇮 Pyöriä kuin ryssä Anttilassa
🇬🇧 To wander around like a Russian in Anttila
Context: Anttila used to be a Finnish department store chain, popular with Russian tourists
🇫🇮 Pyöriä kuin puolukka pillussa
🇬🇧 To wander around like a lingonberry in a pussy
🇫🇮 Pyöriä kuin pieru nahkahousuissa
🇬🇧 To wander around like a fart in leather pants
Life Lessons & Wisdom
🇫🇮 Antaa ymmärtää muttei ymmärrä antaa
🇬🇧 Leads you on but doesn’t follow through
🇫🇮 Ilman hauskaakin voi olla viinaa
🇬🇧 You can have booze without the fun
🇫🇮 Älä heitä kirvestä kaivoon
🇬🇧 Don’t throw the axe into the well
Meaning: Don’t give up easily
🇫🇮 Kukaan ei ole seppä syntyessään
🇬🇧 No one is born a blacksmith
Meaning: Nobody is born an expert; skills are acquired with time and practice
🇫🇮 Kun menee sutta pakoon, tulee karhu vastaan
🇬🇧 When you flee from a wolf, you run into a bear
Meaning: Trying to avoid one problem, you might end up facing an even bigger issue.
🇫🇮 Ei pidä ostaa sikaa säkissä
🇬🇧 Don’t buy a pig in a poke
Meaning: Don’t commit to something without inspecting it first
Everyday Observations
🇫🇮 Ei ole paluuta, kun makkara on jo grillissä
🇬🇧 There’s no turning back once the sausage is on the grill
Meaning: Some actions are irreversible; think before you act
🇫🇮 Ei ole kaikki muumit laaksossa
🇬🇧 Not all the Moomins are in the valley
Meaning: Someone is not thinking clearly or is a bit crazy
🇫🇮 Ei ole kaikki intiaanit kanootissa
🇬🇧 Not all the Indians are in the canoe
Meaning: Someone is not thinking clearly, is a bit scatterbrained, or has lost their marbles
🇫🇮 Ei kannata lähteä merta edemmäs kalaan
🇬🇧 There’s no need to go beyond the sea to fish
Meaning: Don’t make things more complicated than they need to be
🇫🇮 Kun kissa on poissa, hiiret hyppii pöydällä
🇬🇧 When the cat’s away, the mice jump on the table
Meaning: People will misbehave or act out when there’s no one to oversee or discipline them
🇫🇮 Viedä kuin pässiä narussa
🇬🇧 To lead like a ram on a rope
Meaning: To easily deceive or lead someone astray, often related to someone being gullible
🇫🇮 Jos pieru ei kaikille maistu, ei kannata tuulettaa
🇬🇧 If your fart isn’t to everyone’s taste, best not to air it out
Meaning: Not everyone will appreciate your input, so sometimes it’s better to keep it to yourself
🇫🇮 Heittää lusikka nurkkaan
🇬🇧 To throw the spoon into the corner
Meaning: A colloquial way to say someone has passed away or died
🇫🇮 Siirtyä mullansyöntiin
🇬🇧 To move on to eating soil/dirt
Meaning: A humorous way to say someone has passed away or died
Finnish Idioms & Colloquialisms
🇫🇮 Pohjan limat
🇬🇧 Slime from the bottom or bottom slime
Meaning: The last remnants or dregs of a drink in a bottle or can
🇫🇮 Mennä metsään
🇬🇧 To go into the forest
Meaning: To get something wrong or to fail
🇫🇮 Lyödä hanskat tiskiin
🇬🇧 To throw the gloves on the counter
Meaning: To give up or quit
🇫🇮 Kännissä kuin käki
🇬🇧 Drunk as a cuckoo
Meaning: Extremely drunk
🇫🇮 Jäädä nuolemaan näppejään
🇬🇧 Left licking one’s fingers
Meaning: To be left empty-handed or to miss out on something
🇫🇮 Olla persaukinen
🇬🇧 To be butt-broke or have your ass open
Meaning: To be very poor or to have no money, usually described as being in debt
