Pūst pīlītes
Meaning: To tell tall tales; to fib.
Language: Latvian
Literally: To blow little ducks
Category: Animals
Origin: A Latvian image of puffing up fanciful little 'ducks' of invented, exaggerated stories.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: Raconter des salades — literally: To tell salads
- Russian: Не вешай лапшу на уши (Ne veshay lapshu na ushi) — literally: Don't hang noodles on my ears
More idioms — Animals
- Iga kana kraabib enda poole — Everyone looks out for their own interest.
- Jänes püksis — To be a coward; to get cold feet.
- Ada udang di sebalik batu — There is a hidden motive.
- Rhedeg fel cath i gythraul — To run frantically fast.
- Tá sé ar muin na muice — He's doing wonderfully; living in luck.
- I rri gjel dikujt — To strut arrogantly before someone and refuse to back down or bow one's head to them.
More Latvian idioms
- Ņemt kāju pār plecu — To hurry off at once.
- Kā pliks pa nātrēm — In a frantic, painful hurry.
From our tongue twisters
- El cielo está enladrillado, ¿quién lo desenladrillará? — A brutal test of the rolled 'r' and 'l'.
- Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut und Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid. — A 'bl' / 'br' brain-twister.
- Trentatré trentini entrarono a Trento tutti e trentatré trotterellando. — An unbroken stampede of 'tr' and 't'.