Luxembourgish animal idioms and proverbs: cats, dogs, donkeys and wolves

Ech kafen dach keng Kaz am Sak!

Literally: I am not buying a cat in a sack!

Meaning: I will not agree to anything before I have checked it. Buying a cat in a sack — English buys a pig in a poke. The verb is kafen.

Bal ass nach keng Maus an der Fal.

Literally: Almost is not yet a mouse in the trap.

Meaning: Something that might happen has not happened yet. “Almost” is not yet a mouse in the trap.

Et soll een d'Mais net bei de Speck spären.

Literally: One should not lock the mice in with the bacon.

Meaning: You should not lead anyone into temptation. Don’t lock the mice in with the bacon — don’t lead anyone into temptation.

Wann d'Mais sat sinn, ass d'Miel batter.

Literally: When the mice are full, the flour is bitter.

Meaning: Once you have had enough, you become fussy.

Ech wier am léifsten an e Maislach gekroch.

Literally: I would most have liked to crawl into a mouse hole.

Meaning: I was very ashamed. I would have crawled into a mouse hole: I wanted the ground to swallow me.

Si verdroe sech ewéi Hond a Kaz.

Literally: They get along like dog and cat.

Meaning: They do not get along at all. They get on like dog and cat — the same pair as in English.

Wie mat den Honn schlofe geet, dee steet mat Fléi op.

Literally: Whoever goes to bed with the dogs gets up with fleas.

Meaning: Whoever spends time with bad people picks up their bad habits. Fleas are the price of bad company. The verb schlofen (to sleep) is irregular — check its table.

Wie frech ass ewéi en Hond, dee lieft ewéi en Här.

Literally: Whoever is as cheeky as a dog lives like a lord.

Meaning: Cheeky people always get what they want.

Pass op, hien ass e Wollef am Schofspelz!

Literally: Watch out, he is a wolf in a sheep's fur!

Meaning: Watch out, he is not as harmless as he seems. The wolf in sheep’s clothing is the same image as in English.

Et muss ee mat de Wëllef haulen.

Literally: One must howl with the wolves.

Meaning: You have to adapt to the people around you. You have to howl with the wolves: when in Rome…

Den Honger dreift de Wollef aus dem Bësch.

Literally: Hunger drives the wolf out of the forest.

Meaning: Someone who is badly off is ready to do anything. Hunger drives the wolf out of the forest.

Wann et dem Iesel ze wuel ass, da geet en op d'Äis danzen.

Literally: When the donkey feels too well, it goes dancing on the ice.

Meaning: When things go too well for someone, they become reckless. When the donkey is too comfortable, it goes dancing on the ice. The verb danzen appears in several sayings.

Du kanns den Iesel bei d'Waasser féieren, mee saufe muss e selwer!

Literally: You can lead the donkey to the water, but it must drink by itself!

Meaning: You cannot help someone who does not want to be helped.

Hie schafft ewéi e Päerd.

Literally: He works like a horse.

Meaning: He works very hard. Working like a horse — the verb schaffen is the everyday word for “to work”.

Mat him kanns de Päerd stiele goen.

Literally: With him you can go stealing horses.

Meaning: You can rely on him completely. Someone you could go and steal horses with — completely reliable.

Du spaans de Won virun d'Päerd.

Literally: You harness the cart in front of the horse.

Meaning: You are doing first what you should do last. Harnessing the cart in front of the horse: doing things in the wrong order.

Eng blann Sau kann och emol eng Eechel fannen.

Literally: A blind sow can also find an acorn once in a while.

Meaning: Even someone you would not expect it from can achieve something now and then. Even a blind sow can find an acorn — the verb is fannen.

Mäi Brudder ass dat Schwaarzt Schof an der Famill.

Literally: My brother is the black sheep in the family.

Meaning: My brother does not behave the way the family expects. The black sheep of the family, in Luxembourgish too. Family words: relationships and family.

Si hunn de Bock zum Gäertner gemaach.

Literally: They made the billy goat the gardener.

Meaning: They gave the responsibility to someone likely to do more harm than good. Making the billy goat the gardener: putting the wrong person in charge.

Déi gutt Réit an déi schlamm Geesse kommen ëmmer ze spéit.

Literally: Good advice and lame goats always come too late.

Meaning: Good advice usually comes when it is too late to use it.

Hien ass en alen Hues.

Literally: He is an old hare.

Meaning: He has a lot of experience. An old hare: someone with a lot of experience.

Dat päifen d'Spatze vun den Diech.

Literally: The sparrows whistle that from the roofs.

Meaning: Everybody knows that already. The sparrows whistle it from the roofs: everybody already knows.

Hei gëtt mat Kanounen op Spatze geschoss.

Literally: Here cannons are fired at sparrows.

Meaning: Here far too much force is used for a small problem. Shooting sparrows with cannons — far too much force for a small problem.

Mat Knëppele fänkt ee keng Vullen.

Literally: With clubs you catch no birds.

Meaning: Using excessive means achieves nothing.

Hie fillt sech ewéi e Fësch am Waasser.

Literally: He feels like a fish in the water.

Meaning: He feels completely at ease. Like a fish in water: completely at ease.

Deen héiert d'Gras wuessen an d'Fléi néitsen.

Literally: He hears the grass grow and the fleas sneeze.

Meaning: Nothing escapes him. He hears the grass grow and the fleas sneeze — nothing escapes him.

Ech hunn e Fräsch am Hals.

Literally: I have a frog in my throat.

Meaning: I have to clear my throat. A frog in the throat — English has the same animal.

Een Af mécht der honnert.

Literally: One monkey makes a hundred of them.

Meaning: When one person does something silly, others often copy it. One monkey makes a hundred: silly behaviour is catching.