7 Viennese sayings that make absolutely no sense in English - Vienna Würstelstand

The English speaking magazine. Making the most out of Vienna and life.

7 Viennese sayings that make absolutely no sense in English

 

Literal translation: I didn’t swim here through noodle soup.
Meaning: You can’t fool me. Seriously. The Viennese have age-old wisdom of the connotation between eating noodles and being witty.

 

Literal translation: Jump into the mud and cause ripples.
Meaning: Leave me alone. The abbreviation would be “Hupf in Gatsch.”. The phrase also made its entry into pop music, thanks to the late and great Georg Danzer:

[fve]https://youtu.be/lxsG4nu-PxA[/fve]

Literal translation: For me, you’re at home in a butt.
Meaning: I don’t give a damn about you.

 

Literal translation: Listen, don’t shit on yourself.
Meaning: Dude, don’t sweat it. See how helpful the Viennese are? They even try to keep their fellows from staining their clothes with fecal matter.

 

Literal translation: Better than getting hit in the head with a stone.
Meaning: It could be worse. When a situation looks bad, this sentence comes in handy.

 

Literal translation: Hallo is already dead and is lying next to Heast.
Meaning: Choose a different way of addressing me. Instead of only using “Hallo” and “Heast,” people who use this saying are expressing how they’d like to be addressed by their actual name.

 

Literal translation: I hope you’ll explode.
Meaning: Bless you. A very subtle, slightly passive-agressive way of wishing somebody well after sneezing.

Get content that you love in your inbox!

#nospam - only the good stuff that makes you smile and helps you make the most out of Vienna...and life!

We’re committed to your privacy. We will use the information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content and services in the form of a newsletter. For more information, check out our Privacy Policy.