surt sa räven

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Swedish[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Aesop's fable The Fox and the Grapes. Literally, "'Sour', said the fox (about the rowan berries)".

Idiom[edit]

surt sa räven

  1. sour grapes

Usage notes[edit]

The idiom comes from a Swedish translation of the fable that opted for using rowan berries instead of grapes. Since rowan berries are actually sour, the point of the idiom is somewhat lost in Swedish.