IdiomAnimals
Welsh
WelshRhedeg fel cath i gythraul
Meaning: To run frantically fast.
Literally: To run like a cat to the devil
Example: “Pan welodd y ci, rhedodd fel cath i gythraul.” — When he saw the dog, he ran like a bat out of hell.
English equivalent: Like a bat out of hell
Origin: "To run like a cat to the devil": a cat fleeing as if the devil were after it, running as fast as it possibly can. The phrase is colloquial Welsh and has no particular story behind it.
Equivalents in other languages
Latvian: Kā pliks pa nātrēm Literally: Like a naked man through nettles
Portuguese: Tirar o pai da forca Literally: To take your father off the gallows
French: Sur les chapeaux de roues Literally: On the wheel hubcaps- French: À tombeau ouvert Literally: With the tomb open
English: like a bat out of hell
More Welsh idioms
- Siarad fel pwll y môr To talk endlessly without pause.
- Tynnu blewyn o drwyn To provoke or tease someone.
- Codi pais ar ôl piso Fretting over what's already done.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- O rato roeu a roupa do rei de Roma; a rainha com raiva roeu o resto. An unstoppable 'r' trill drill — every key word begins or ends with the Portuguese r.
- Um tigre, dois tigres, três tigres tristes triscam trigo num trigal. A 'tr' cluster drill that adds a sad adjective to make the alliteration worse.
- O papa papava o papo do pipo; o pipo papava o papo do papa. A perfectly palindromic 'p' construction that reverses meaning when you swap the nouns.
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