inte göra en fluga förnär
Meaning: To be harmless and gentle, incapable of hurting even the smallest creature.
Language: Swedish
Literally: not to do a fly any harm
Category: Animals
Origin: The image contrasts a person's gentleness with the idea that even a fly would be safe from them.
More idioms — Animals
- 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…
- surt sa räven — To claim that something undesirable was not worth having anyway, as a way of masking disa…
- kupować kota w worku — To purchase something without examining it first, risking getting a poor deal.
- ptasi móżdżek — A stupid or scatterbrained person.
- strzyc uszami — To prick up one's ears; to listen intently.
More Swedish idioms
- 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…
- så till den milda grad — To such an extent; to a remarkable or extreme degree, often used ironically.
- komma till pass — To prove useful or convenient in a particular situation; to be exactly what is needed.
- lika som bär — Identical or nearly identical to each other in appearance or character.
- syna i sömmarna — To examine something with intense, often harsh scrutiny and criticism.
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