syna i sömmarna

Meaning: To examine something with intense, often harsh scrutiny and criticism.

Language: Swedish

Literally: to see in the seams

Category: Daily Life

Origin: The image is of looking closely at stitching or seams in fabric to find flaws—a meticulous inspection that reveals defects.

More idioms — Daily Life

• sätta någon på plats — To rebuke or humble someone by establishing proper order or respect.
• högt spel — A risky venture or pursuit involving substantial stakes and danger.
• ta sig friheten — To take a liberty or privilege that one has not been explicitly granted.
• ta sig friheter — To act without appropriate restraint, especially to make inappropriate advances or impose…
• sjunga på sista versen — To be near the end of one's life or near the end of something's existence.
• bära eller brista — To succeed or fail; to endure the test or collapse under it.

More Swedish idioms

• lägga sig i — To insert oneself into a situation uninvited; to meddle or interfere.
• på hal is — In a precarious or dangerous situation that one cannot control or easily escape.
• 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.
• mitt på ljusan dag — In broad daylight; openly and obviously, not in secret.

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