att vara rädd som en hare
Meaning: To be extremely fearful and jumpy, ready to flee at the slightest danger.
Language: Swedish
Literally: to be afraid like a hare
Category: Animals
Origin: Draws directly on genuine, easily observed hare behavior: hares are naturally cautious, hyper-alert animals with no real means of defending themselves against predators, relying entirely on quick reflexes and an early instinct to flee at the very first sign of danger rather than risk any kind of confrontation. That skittish, always-ready-to-bolt temperament made the hare an intuitive natural symbol for timidity and jumpiness across Scandinavian folk speech generally, and the comparison is especially well documented in Finland-Swedish proverb collections, where it appears alongside other animal-based comparisons for character traits, like "dum som en gås" (dumb as a goose) for foolishness.
Equivalents in other languages
- Estonian: Jänes püksis — literally: A hare in the trousers
More idioms — Animals
- let the cat out of the bag — to reveal a secret inadvertently.
- go belly up — to fail completely; to go bankrupt.
- bark up the wrong tree — to pursue a wrong course; to blame the wrong person.
- get your ducks in a row — to organize yourself; to prepare systematically.
- in a pig's eye — absolutely not; never; expressing strong disagreement.
- like a fish out of water — uncomfortable or awkward in a situation; out of one's element.
More Swedish idioms
- 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.
- Nu har du satt din sista potatis — You've done your last misdeed; you're finished.
- Att göra en pudel — To make a public, groveling apology.
- Att ha tummen mitt i handen — To be hopelessly clumsy; all thumbs.