IdiomDaily Life
Afrikaans
AfrikaansHy is van sy trollie af
Meaning: He has lost his mind.
Literally: He's off his trolley
Example: “Hy wil in die winter in die see swem; hy is van sy trollie af.” — He wants to swim in the sea in winter; he's off his trolley.
English equivalent: Off one's trolley
Origin: Borrowed from English "off his trolley," a 19th-century slang phrase for being crazy. The trolley is a cart or a tram that has left its track. Afrikaans took over the phrase word for word.
Equivalents in other languages
Spanish: Estar como una cabra Literally: To be like a goat
English: mad as a box of frogs- English: Mad as a hatter
Danish: At gå agurk Literally: To go cucumber- English: go bananas
- English: off one's trolley
More Afrikaans idioms
- Koeitjies en kalfies Idle small talk.
- Bobbejaan agter die bult To worry about troubles that may never come.
- 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.
Explore another collection: False Friends
Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
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