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.
Equivalents in other languages
- Japanese: 二階から目薬 (Nikai kara megusuri) — literally: Eye drops from the second floor
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 (âb az sarash gozashte) — 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.