Danish Idioms

A curated set of 10 idioms in Danish — literal translations, real meanings, and where each one comes from.

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• At slå koldt vand i blodet — To calm down and keep a cool head. Literally: To pour cold water into the blood.
• At gå agurk — To go crazy or berserk. Literally: To go cucumber.
• At have rotter på loftet — To be a little crazy. Literally: To have rats in the attic.
• Det blæser en halv pelikan — It is extremely windy. Literally: It's blowing half a pelican.
• At tisse i bukserne for at holde varmen — A quick fix that makes the problem worse soon after. Literally: To pee in your pants to keep warm.
• At save den gren over man selv sidder på — To undermine your own position. Literally: To saw off the branch you're sitting on.
• At gå over åen efter vand — To do something in a needlessly roundabout way. Literally: To cross the stream to fetch water.
• At trække det store læs — To do the heavy lifting and carry the work. Literally: To pull the big load.
• At træde i spinaten — To put your foot in it; to blunder. Literally: To step in the spinach.
• At score kassen — To make a big, easy profit. Literally: To score the cash box.

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