Bobbejaan agter die bult
Meaning: To worry about troubles that may never come.
Language: Afrikaans
Literally: A baboon behind the hill
Category: Animals
Origin: From an Afrikaans folk song; dreading the unseen baboon over the rise pictures needless anxiety.
Equivalents in other languages
- Japanese: 杞憂 (Kiyū) — literally: Worry of Qi - fear that the sky might fall
More idioms — Animals
- Мува без главе (Muva bez glave) — To rush about chaotically and without direction.
- Гладна мечка хоро не играе (Gladna mechka horo ne igrae) — Nothing gets done on an empty stomach.
- Iti rakom žvižgat — To go to ruin; to fall apart.
- Vilką minim, vilkas čia — Speak of the devil.
- Pūst pīlītes — To tell tall tales; to fib.
- Iga kana kraabib enda poole — Everyone looks out for their own interest.
More Afrikaans idioms
- So skaars soos hoendertande — Extremely rare; almost non-existent.
- 'n Halwe eier is beter as 'n leë dop — Half a loaf is better than none.
- Nou is die gort gaar — Now we're really in trouble.
- Jakkals trou met wolf se vrou — A sunshower — rain while the sun shines.
- Hy is van sy trollie af — He has lost his mind.
- Koeitjies en kalfies — Idle small talk.
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- Unique New York. — Three words that jam the 'y/n/k' sequence together — repeat it and it collapses into 'you…