Appendix:Estonian idioms

List of idioms in the Estonian language:

Contents:	Top - A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S Š Z Ž T U V W Õ Ä Ö Ü X Y - See also - External link

A

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
Achilleuse kand	A person's weak spot	Achilles heel

B

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

C

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

D

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

E

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
eluvaimu sisse puhuma	to bring back to life	blow in (to sm) the spirit of life
erand kinnitab reeglit		Exception that proves the rule

F

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

G

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

H

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
hauas teist külge keerama		to turn around in one's grave
häda ajab härja kaevu

I

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
isa nikkuma õpetama	when a child teaches something very commonly understood to someone older and more experienced	to teach one's father how to fuck

J

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
jalga laskma	To go away / flee	To shoot one's leg
jalgratast leiutama		reinvent the bicycle

K

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
kaksk[ümm]end neli seitse	Always; at all times. From 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week.	twenty-four seven
karuteene	favor, which brings negative consequences	bear's favor
kivi kotti!	good luck!	Stone into the bag!
koer poiss		Dog boy
kui hundist räägid	to call a bad omen	when talking of about wolf
kuum kartul	In the common political usage 'kuum kartul' (hot potato) represents an issue which is controversial and generally avoided. In a business setting it sometimes refers to a project or responsibility that no one wants to assume, usually because the probability of failure is high. From a children's game in which an object which represents (or actually is) a hot potato is passed around a circle of players while music plays (or time is kept). The loser - the one left holding the 'potato' when the music stops (or time is up) - is eliminated, until only one person is left. A variation (when using an actual very hot potato) is to eliminate anyone who drops the potato	hot potato
kuut kõssi võtma		to take six shoos
käbi ei kuku kännust kaugele	A child exhibits the same way as his/her parents.	the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree
käega lööma	to give up	Beat by hand
käib peale nagu uni	unavoidable, persuasive and diligent	insists like sleepiness
küsija suu pihta lööma	punish in any way the person for asking the question	hit on the mouth of the person who asks

L

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
lakke sittuma		shit on the ceiling
lesta tõmbama	to leave	to pull the flounder
libedal jääl kõndima	to walk on thin ice	to walk on slippery ice
luukere kapis	A personal secret that one would not like to reveal for fear of embarrassment, as it usually reflects badly on the person having the secret.	skeleton in the closet

M

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
must lammas	An ostracized or ill-fitting member of a family or group.	black sheep

N

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
nael kummi!		Pound Rubber
nokk kinni, saba lahti		Baseball Stick

O

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
oleks nagu vaimu näinud		would be seen as the spirit
ots otsaga kokku tulema	to make ends meet	the act of having 2 tips come together

P

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
parimat valjut osta soovima		to want to buy the best loud
peenike kui piitsavars		as thin as the stalk of a whip
pekki saagima		to saw the lard
peost suhu elama		live from hand to mouth

Q

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

R

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
rongist maha jääma	being late to act	miss the train

S

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
sajab nagu oavarrest		raining like from the bean stalk
situ ruttu, karu tuleb!		shit fast, the bear is coming!

Š

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

Z

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

Ž

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

T

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

U

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

V

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
viies ratas vankri all	you are redundant / not welcome. Third wheel.	the fifth wheel under the wagon
võta või jäta	Accept or reject unconditionally.	take it or leave it

W

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

Õ

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning
õnnest lakke hüppama		Jump to the ceiling out of happiness.

Ä

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

Ö

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

Ü

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

X

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning

Y

Idiom	Meaning	Literal Meaning