IdiomThe Absurd
Swedish
Swedishslåss mot väderkvarnar
Meaning: To engage in a futile struggle against imaginary or trivial enemies.
Literally: To fight against windmills
Example: “Att klaga på vädret är att slåss mot väderkvarnar.” — Complaining about the weather is tilting at windmills.
English equivalent: To tilt at windmills
Equivalents in other languages
French: Se battre contre des moulins à vent Literally: To fight against windmills
English: tilt at windmills
Russian: сражаться с ветряными мельницами (srazhat'sya s vetryanymi mel'nitsami) Literally: To fight with windmills
Origin: From Cervantes's Don Quixote (1605), in which the deluded knight charges a row of windmills, taking them for giants. Fighting windmills is struggling against imaginary enemies or a hopeless cause.
More Swedish idioms
- 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.
- mitt på ljusan dag In broad daylight; openly and obviously, not in secret.
- Att glida in på en räkmacka To have things handed to you without effort.
- Att ha rent mjöl i påsen To have a clean conscience; nothing to hide.
- att köpa grisen i säcken To make a purchase or agreement without inspecting or understanding what you're actually…
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