IdiomAnimals
Swedish
SwedishAtt ha en räv bakom örat
Meaning: To be cunning and sly.
Literally: To have a fox behind the ear
Example: “Akta dig för handlaren, han har en räv bakom örat.” — Watch out for that dealer; he's as sly as a fox.
English equivalent: Sly as a fox
Origin: The fox has stood for cunning in European fables since antiquity, and someone with a fox hidden behind their ear has a sly trick tucked away. Danish has the same phrase, have en ræv bag øret. Its origin and first use are not documented.
Equivalents in other languages
Spanish: tener más conchas que un galápago Literally: To have more shells than a Galápagos tortoise
English: sly as a fox
More Swedish idioms
- Att smita från notan To dodge paying or shirk responsibility.
- Att sätta sig på tvären To be obstinate and refuse to cooperate.
- ge järnet Exert maximum effort; give one's all.
- ta sig vatten över huvudet Get in over one's head; take on more than one can manage.
- under kniven Undergoing surgery.
- fjällen falla från någons ögon To suddenly understand something that was previously hidden or obscured.
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