IdiomNature
Swedish
Swedishpå hal is
Meaning: In a precarious or dangerous situation that one cannot control or easily escape.
Literally: On slippery ice
Example: “Med de siffrorna är du ute på hal is.” — With those figures, you're skating on thin ice.
English equivalent: To skate on thin ice
Equivalents in other languages
Turkish: Pabuç pahalı Literally: The shoe is expensive
English: skate on thin ice
Origin: On slippery ice one can lose one's footing at any moment. Being på hal is is being on uncertain, risky ground, often in a conversation or a subject one does not master. No particular story lies behind it.
More Swedish idioms
- högt spel A risky venture or pursuit involving substantial stakes and danger.
- sjunga på sista versen To be near the end of one's life or near the end of something's existence.
- surt sa räven To claim that something undesirable was not worth having anyway, as a way of masking disa…
- slåss mot väderkvarnar To engage in a futile struggle against imaginary or trivial enemies.
- ha is i magen To remain calm and composed under pressure, resisting the urge to act rashly.
- bära eller brista To succeed or fail; to endure the test or collapse under it.
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