IdiomNature
Icelandic
IcelandicAð leggja árar í bát
Meaning: To give up and stop trying.
Literally: To lay the oars in the boat
Example: “Liðið lagði aldrei árar í bát, þrátt fyrir að vera undir.” — The team never threw in the towel, even when they were behind.
English equivalent: To throw in the towel
Equivalents in other languages
English: throw in the towel
Portuguese: Chutar o balde Literally: To kick the bucket
Swedish: Att kasta yxan i sjön Literally: To throw the axe in the lake
Czech: Házet flintu do žita Literally: To throw the rifle into the rye
French: Baisser pavillon Literally: To lower the pavilion- French: Jeter l'éponge Literally: To throw the sponge
- French: Mettre pavillon bas Literally: To lower the flag
Origin: Laying the oars in the boat is stopping rowing and letting the boat drift. The phrase means giving up, and comes from Iceland's fishing life, where rowing boats were the everyday craft. No first use is documented.
More Icelandic idioms
- Að leggja höfuðið í bleyti To sleep on a problem and think hard about it.
- Þetta reddast Things will work out fine in the end.
- Að ganga með grasið í skónum To pursue someone persistently, especially to court them.
- Að kasta til höndunum To do a job carelessly and in haste.
- Rúsínan í pylsuendanum A pleasant, unexpected bonus at the very end.
- Að taka einhvern á beinið To give someone a stern talking-to.
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