At gå over åen efter vand

Meaning: To do something in a needlessly roundabout way.

Language: Danish

Literally: To cross the stream to fetch water

Category: Nature

Origin: Wading across the very stream you could have drawn from pictures absurd over-complication of a simple task.

More idioms — Nature

• Mennä metsään — To go completely wrong.
• Házet flintu do žita — To give up prematurely.
• Havadan sudan konuşmak — To make idle small talk.
• آب از سرش گذشته — It is already too late to save the situation.
• Sambil menyelam minum air — To accomplish two things in one go.
• Air tenang menghanyutkan — Quiet people can run surprisingly deep.

More Danish idioms

• At trække det store læs — To do the heavy lifting and carry the work.
• At træde i spinaten — To put your foot in it; to blunder.
• At score kassen — To make a big, easy profit.
• At slå koldt vand i blodet — To calm down and keep a cool head.
• At gå agurk — To go crazy or berserk.
• At have rotter på loftet — To be a little crazy.

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