1st Idiom: Life is no pony farm
2nd Idiom: Life is no sugar-licking.
Both meaning life isn’t easy.
Combines into: Life is no pony-licking
One hand washes the other. One crow doesn’t pick the others eye.
The former meaning: “Quid pro Quo” and the latter: “One scoundrel doesn’t tell on the other.”
Combines into: One crow washes the other.
Like an elephant in the china shop. (The proverbial bull in the china shop) Who’s sitting in a glasshouse shouldn’t throw stones. (If you are yourself vulnerable to / guilty of the allegation, don’t throw the proverbial first stone)
Combines into: Who’s sitting in a china shop shouldn’t throw elephants.
Who digs a pit for another will fall in themself. (Meaning is obvious) Who’s sitting in a glasshouse shouldn’t throw stones. (As above)
Combine into: Who’s sitting in a glasshouse will fall in themself.
Had a pig. (That was lucky) Sponge over it. (Erase it / it’s okay / forget it)
Combine into: Pig over it.
Note: in German sponge (Schwamm) and pig (Schwein) begin with the same syllables.
Not seeing the forest for the trees. (as in English) Standing like the ox in front of a mountain. (being baffled or at a loss)
Combine into: Standing like the ox in front of a tree.
Or: Not seeing the ox for the mountains.
Hitting two flies with one swatter. (As in two birds, one stone)
Morphs into: Hitting two swatters with one fly.
Better the sparrow in your hand than the pigeon on the roof. (Be content with what you have in your hand instead of going for the bigger thing that’s harder to get.)
Morphs into: Better the mute (woman) in bed than the deaf (woman) on the roof.
Note: “Die Taube” is feminine and can mean both “the pidgeon” and “the deaf”. (dove, deaf, you can see the connection in English still)
Better the sparrow in your hand than the pidgeon on the roof. (As above) Shooting cannons at sparrows. (Overreacting)
Oh, we have those in German too:
1st Idiom: Life is no pony farm
2nd Idiom: Life is no sugar-licking.
Both meaning life isn’t easy.
Combines into: Life is no pony-licking
One hand washes the other.
One crow doesn’t pick the others eye.
The former meaning: “Quid pro Quo” and the latter: “One scoundrel doesn’t tell on the other.”
Combines into: One crow washes the other.
Like an elephant in the china shop. (The proverbial bull in the china shop)
Who’s sitting in a glasshouse shouldn’t throw stones. (If you are yourself vulnerable to / guilty of the allegation, don’t throw the proverbial first stone)
Combines into: Who’s sitting in a china shop shouldn’t throw elephants.
Who digs a pit for another will fall in themself. (Meaning is obvious)
Who’s sitting in a glasshouse shouldn’t throw stones. (As above)
Combine into: Who’s sitting in a glasshouse will fall in themself.
Had a pig. (That was lucky)
Sponge over it. (Erase it / it’s okay / forget it)
Combine into: Pig over it.
Note: in German sponge (Schwamm) and pig (Schwein) begin with the same syllables.
Not seeing the forest for the trees. (as in English)
Standing like the ox in front of a mountain. (being baffled or at a loss)
Combine into: Standing like the ox in front of a tree.
Or: Not seeing the ox for the mountains.
Hitting two flies with one swatter. (As in two birds, one stone)
Morphs into: Hitting two swatters with one fly.
Better the sparrow in your hand than the pigeon on the roof. (Be content with what you have in your hand instead of going for the bigger thing that’s harder to get.)
Morphs into: Better the mute (woman) in bed than the deaf (woman) on the roof.
Note: “Die Taube” is feminine and can mean both “the pidgeon” and “the deaf”. (dove, deaf, you can see the connection in English still)
Better the sparrow in your hand than the pidgeon on the roof. (As above)
Shooting cannons at sparrows. (Overreacting)
Combine into: Shooting pidgeons at sparrows.