Att ha rent mjöl i påsen
Meaning: To have a clean conscience; nothing to hide.
Language: Swedish
Literally: To have clean flour in the bag
Category: Food & Drink
Origin: Grounded in the very real, historically documented dishonesty of some millers, who ground and sold flour on commission and occasionally stretched their profits by mixing in husks, chaff, or other cheap filler while still charging customers for a full sack of pure flour. One specific historical case survives from 1868, involving a miller named Carl Olof Lindström, who was contracted to mill grain for the Swedish crown but reportedly prioritized his own private paying customers instead — meaning the crown's own share never actually arrived as pure, unadulterated flour. The expression is documented in print from 1932, and its use increased noticeably during wartime years, when diluting goods sold by loose weight — flour among them — became a genuinely common way for less scrupulous shopkeepers to quietly cut corners. "Having clean flour in your bag" settled into its now-standard meaning: being honest and above-board, with nothing dishonest mixed in to hide.
More idioms — Food & Drink
- Descascar o abacaxi — To solve a very difficult, thorny problem.
- Helaas, pindakaas — Too bad, nothing can be done about it.
- Σιγά τα λάχανα — Big deal! (extreme sarcasm)
- Ayıkla pirincin taşını — Deal with it yourself; it's your mess.
- Armut piş, ağzıma düş — Wanting everything handed to you without effort.
- Avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre — To want to have it both ways.
More Swedish idioms
- att köpa grisen i säcken — To make a purchase or agreement without inspecting or understanding what you're actually…
- det är inte värt ett öre — Something is completely worthless or valueless.
- att vara rädd som en hare — To be extremely fearful and jumpy, ready to flee at the slightest danger.
- Skägget i brevlådan — Caught red-handed in an awkward, embarrassing position.
- Ana ugglor i mossen — To sense that something fishy is going on.
- Lägga rabarber på något — To claim or grab something for yourself.