
IdiomDaily Life
Swedish
lämna någon åt sitt öde
Meaning: To abandon someone, leaving them to deal with consequences on their own.
Literally: Leave someone to their fate
Example: “Guiden åkte hem och lämnade turisterna åt sitt öde.” — The guide went home and left the tourists in the lurch.
English equivalent: To leave someone in the lurch
Equivalents in other languages
English: leave someone in the lurch
Origin: Öde is fate. Leaving someone to their fate is abandoning them to whatever happens, with no further help. The phrase is shared with English and other languages and has no particular story behind it.
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