One idea · 4 languages

“Tilt at windmills”in other languages

Fight imaginary enemies, or a battle you can't win.

  • English
  • French
  • Russian
  • Swedish
English
tilt at windmills
French
Se battre contre des moulins à vent literally To fight against windmills
Russian
сражаться с ветряными мельницами srazhat'sya s vetryanymi mel'nitsami literally To fight with windmills
Swedish
slåss mot väderkvarnar literally To fight against windmills
Behind the words

Same idea, different pictures

All four come from Cervantes' Don Quixote (1605): the knight charges at windmills he takes for giants and gets knocked off his horse. English tilt is the old word for charging with a lance; French, Russian and Swedish simply fight the windmills, se battre contre des moulins à vent, сражаться с ветряными мельницами, slåss mot väderkvarnar.

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