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Koeitjies en kalfies

Meaning: Idle small talk.

Language: Afrikaans

Literally: Little cows and calves

Category: Animals

Origin: Chatting about trifling rural matters — the cattle and their young — stands for casual, easy gossip.

More idioms — Animals

  • Bobbejaan agter die bult — To worry about troubles that may never come.
  • Мува без главе — To rush about chaotically and without direction.
  • Гладна мечка хоро не играе — 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.

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.

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