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The 26 funniest expressions in Lithuania (and how to use them)
by Ieva Ivanauskaitė
March 28, 2015
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Photo: Matteo Staltari
1. A Lithuanian doesn’t have dirty mind, but sometimes he can have very, very “curly thoughts” (garbanotos mintys).
2. Lithuanians don‘t have to understand the meaning of something. They only need to “catch the corner” (pagauti kampą).
3. Lithuanians won’t lie to you. They’ll “hang pasta on the ears” (kabinti makaronus) or “cast a spell on you” (priburti).
4. Lithuanian kids don’t go the toilet. They “go and visit the dwarves” (eiti pas nykštukus).
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5. A Lithuanian doesn’t go crazy. His “roof drives away” (stogas nuvažiuoja).
6. In Lithuania, those who don’t close the doors behind them are “born in a trolleybus” (troleibuse gimęs).
7. A Lithuanian doesn’t merely enjoy the view. He “swallows with his eyes” (ryti akimis).
8. A Lithuanian doesn’t ever abandon anyone. He just “leaves somebody on the ice” (palikti ant ledo).
9. A Lithuanian isn’t stubborn, he “shows the goats” (rodyti ožius).
10. A Lithuanian doesn’t get surprised. His “eyeballs pop out of his forehead” (akys ant kaktos iššoko).
11. Nothing is too far away for a Lithuanian. It can only be “nine seas away” (už devynių jūrų).
12. Nothing is too late either, but “spoons may be served after lunch” (šaukštai po pietų).
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13. In Lithuania, there are no fights. Just “clarifications of relationships” (aiškintis santykius).
14. A Lithuanian isn’t indifferent. He just can’t “see further than his nose” (toliau nosies nematyti).
15. A Lithuanian may not be very straightforward, but he will never bother “wrapping words in cotton” (nevynioti žodžių į vatą).
16. A Lithuanian won’t give you a lecture. He’ll show you “where the legs grow from” (iš kur kojos dygsta).
17. A Lithuanian won’t ask if you want to grab a beer. He’ll ask if you want some “liquid bread” (skysta duona).
18. A Lithuanian doesn’t get fit. He “rolls the muscles” (užsikočioti raumenis).
19. A Lithuanian girl doesn’t wear a ton of makeup. She “wears a kilo” of it (kilogramas špakliaus).
20. A Lithuanian doesn’t fail, become useless, or talk crap. He simply “slices a mushroom” (grybą pjauna).
21. A Lithuanian doesn’t have time for a hangover, because he has to take care of his “burning shafts” (šachtos dega).
22. In Lithuania, things don’t happen without a reason. They appear “from the air” (iš oro).
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23. In Lithuania, you can‘t instantly spot a fool, but you can always see when a person’s “face is unharmed by intellect.” (intelekto nesužalotu veidu).
24. A Lithuanian never changes his mind. His “fantasy comes off” (atšoko fantazija).
25. Lithuanians don’t date two partners at a time. They “act on two fronts” (varyti dviem frontais).
26. Lithuanians don’t fool around. They “spit and catch” (spjaudyti ir gaudyti).