“Have a nerve”in other languages
Be shockingly bold or rude.
English
French
Spanish
EnglishFrenchSpanishSame idea, different pictures
English nerve first meant courage and slid into cheek. French is puffed up, être gonflé, full of air and confidence.
Spanish has more face than back, tener más cara que espalda. In Spanish slang “face” means nerve, so this is nerve beyond all proportion.
More sayings in other languages
- Have had it up to here
- Have one's back to the wall
- Have one's head in the clouds
- Hit the nail on the head
- Hold one's tongue
- Holy cow!
- The morning after the night before
- I could eat a horse
- Be afraid of one's own shadow