IdiomDaily Life
Bulgarian
BulgarianОбръщам дебелия край (Obrashhtam debeliya kray)
Meaning: To start treating someone harshly.
Literally: To turn the thick end
Example: “След третото закъснение шефът обърна дебелия край.” — After the third late arrival, the boss came down hard on him.
English equivalent: To come down hard on someone
Equivalents in other languages
English: come down hard on someone
Origin: Turning a stick round to strike with the thick end, after warning with the thin one, is moving from gentle words to harsh measures. The phrase means getting tough with someone. No particular story lies behind it.
More Bulgarian idioms
- Гладна мечка хоро не играе (Gladna mechka horo ne igrae) Nothing gets done on an empty stomach.
- Бели кахъри (Beli kahŭri) Trivial, almost pleasant things to fret over.
- На баба ми хвърчилото (Na baba mi hvarchiloto) Something utterly irrelevant or nonsensical.
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