IdiomFood & Drink
Hindi
Hindiदाल में कुछ काला है (daal mein kuchh kaalaa hai)
Meaning: Something suspicious is going on.
Literally: There is something black in the lentils
Example: “वह अचानक इतना मीठा क्यों बोल रहा है? दाल में कुछ काला है।” — Why is he suddenly so sweet? Something fishy is going on.
English equivalent: Something fishy is going on
Equivalents in other languages
French: Il y a anguille sous roche Literally: There is an eel under the rock
Swedish: Ana ugglor i mossen Literally: To suspect owls in the bog
Malay: Ada udang di sebalik batu Literally: There's a shrimp behind the rock
English: something fishy is going on
Origin: Dāl (lentils) is yellow or orange, so anything black in it, a pebble, a husk or an insect, stands out at once and spoils the dish. "There is something black in the dal" means something is not right, someone is hiding something. No first use is documented.
More Hindi idioms
- नौ दो ग्यारह होना (nau do gyaarah hona) To flee or run away quickly.
- अंगूर खट्टे हैं (Angoor khatte hain) To scorn what you secretly want but cannot have.
- आ बैल मुझे मार (Ā bail mujhe mār) To deliberately invite trouble upon yourself.
- नाक में दम करना (naak mein dam karna) To harass or pester relentlessly.
- नाक रगड़ना (nāk ragaṛnā) To grovel and beg humbly.
- आसमान सिर पर उठाना (aasmaan sir par uthaana) To raise a huge uproar.
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