Finnish Idioms

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

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• Ei ole kaikki muumit laaksossa — Someone isn't quite all there. Literally: Not all the Moomins are in the valley.
• Maksaa maltaita — To cost a fortune. Literally: To cost malts.
• Heittää lusikka nurkkaan — To die. Literally: To throw the spoon in the corner.
• Olla pipo kireällä — To be uptight, grumpy or in a foul mood. Literally: To have your beanie on tight.
• Päästä kuin koira veräjästä — To escape consequences entirely; to get off scot-free. Literally: To get off like a dog through the gate.
• Olla kuin Ellun kanat — To live a carefree, comfortable life. Literally: To be like Ellu's hens.
• Vetää lonkalta — To improvise; to wing it. Literally: To pull from the hip.
• Mennä metsään — To go completely wrong. Literally: To go into the forest.
• Olla pinna kireällä — To be on edge and short-tempered. Literally: To have the surface tight.
• Lyödä rahoiksi — To cash in; to profit handsomely. Literally: To strike it into money.

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