IdiomNature
Swedish
Swedishgräva sin egen grav
Meaning: To cause one's own ruin or downfall through foolish actions.
Literally: To dig one's own grave
Example: “Genom att ljuga för chefen grävde han sin egen grav.” — By lying to his boss, he dug his own grave.
English equivalent: To dig one's own grave
Equivalents in other languages
English: dig one's own grave
Origin: Digging one's own grave is preparing one's own ruin by one's own actions. The phrase is shared with English and many languages and has no particular story behind it.
More Swedish idioms
- inte göra en fluga förnär To be harmless and gentle, incapable of hurting even the smallest creature.
- styv i korken Overly self-confident and arrogant, carrying oneself with unwarranted swagger.
- gå sitt öde till mötes To face one's destiny, often implying a dramatic or fatal confrontation with what is fate…
- som vatten på en gås Something that has no effect or makes no impression, sliding off harmlessly.
- lysa med lånta fjädrar To present oneself falsely by adopting the qualities, accomplishments, or possessions of…
- så till den milda grad To such an extent; to a remarkable or extreme degree, often used ironically.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
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- 坊主が屏風に上手に坊主の絵を描いた (Bōzu ga byōbu ni jōzu ni bōzu no e o kaita) A sustained 'b' and long-vowel drill — bōzu/byōbu/jōzu demand precise mouth control.
- 隣の客はよく柿食う客だ (Tonari no kyaku wa yoku kaki kuu kyaku da) A tricky spiral on ka/ki/ku that accelerates as you try to keep the syllables distinct.
- Como poco coco como, poco coco compro. A bouncy 'co' drill — the word order and meaning flip with each repetition.
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