The question is meant to explore common phrases or expressions used in everyday speech across different cultures and linguistic backgrounds. Idioms are colorful, figurative expressions whose meanings cannot be understood literally—for example, the English idiom “it’s raining cats and dogs” means it’s raining heavily, not that animals are falling from the sky. By asking this question, I intend to learn about similar popular idioms from different languages, such as Arabic, French, Chinese, or Spanish, along with their meanings and possibly how they compare to English expressions.
Gives earrings to the one without ears” – Said when someone gets something they don’t deserve
English
- "It's raining cats and dogs." Meaning: It's raining heavily.
- "Add fuel to the fire." Meaning: Make a bad situation worse.
Arabic
- "القرد في عين أمه غزال" Literal Translation: The monkey in his mother’s eyes is a gazelle. Meaning: Everyone sees their loved ones in the best light.
- "رجع بخُفي حُنين" Literal: He returned with Hunayn’s sandals. Meaning: He came back empty-handed (failed in his mission).
- "التكرار يعلم الحمار" Literal: Repetition teaches the donkey. Meaning: Practice makes perfect.
French
- "C’est la fin des haricots." Literal: It’s the end of the beans. Meaning: Everything’s lost, there’s no hope left.
- "Coûter les yeux de la tête." Literal: To cost the eyes of the head. Meaning: To be very expensive (“to cost an arm and a leg”).
- "Donner sa langue au chat." Literal: To give one’s tongue to the cat. Meaning: To give up guessing.
Spanish
- "Tomar el pelo." Literal: To take someone’s hair. Meaning: To tease or trick someone (“pull someone’s leg”).
- "Estar en la luna." Literal: To be on the moon. Meaning: Daydreaming or distracted.
- "Dar en el clavo." Literal: To hit the nail. Meaning: To get something exactly right.
Just like online dictionaries being widely available and are free to use, similarly Idioms dictionaries should be available, both in printed form as well as online versions.